Identifying Psychosocial Risks and Protective Measures for Workers’ Mental Wellbeing at the Time of COVID-19: A Narrative Review

Factors influencing healthcare workers' performance before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A bibliometric analysis with supplementary comparative analysis

BACKGROUND

The performance of healthcare workers directly impacts patient safety and treatment outcomes. This was particularly evident during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze research trends on factors influencing work performance among healthcare workers through bibliometric analysis and conduct a comparative analysis from macro and micro perspectives before and after the COVID-19 pandemic to complement the existing research.

METHODS

This study involved a bibliometric analysis of 1408 articles related to work performance in the healthcare field published between 2010 and 2023, using the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases, and 37 articles were selected to determine the factors influencing work performance.

RESULTS

By conducting a bibliometric analysis of the articles based on country, institution, journal, co-cited references, and keywords, this study identified a significant growth trend regarding the factors influencing work performance in the healthcare field, and research hotspots shifted from organizational factors like standard towards psychological factors such as burnout, anxiety, and depression following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, this study extracted 10 micro-level and 9 macro-level influencing factors from the selected articles for supplementary analysis. Furthermore, this study conducted a comparative analysis of the impact of these factors on work performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

This study addressed the limitations of previous studies regarding incomplete extraction of factors influencing work performance and unclear comparisons of parameters before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings provide insights and guidance for improving the performance of healthcare workers.

Retrospective study on the emotional status of healthcare workers in a COVID-19 field hospital in Oman

Overview

To combat the overwhelming demand for medical services and care during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Sultanate of Oman launched the COVID-19 Field Hospital in 2020, designed to respond and alleviate the burden on the medical infrastructure. Several studies globally and from the Middle East suggested that frontline healthcare workers (HCW) were at risk of developing markers of psychological distress. It was further understood through research findings that HCW were resilient during times of crisis. However, there is a dearth in studies evaluating the emotional status of frontline HCW posted in the COVID-19 field hospitals in Gulf Countries, including Oman. This study attempts to shed light on the emotional status of HCW that were on the frontlines in the field hospital in the Sultanate of Oman.

Aim

This study aims to quantify and evaluate the emotional status of HCW in the frontline field hospital by screening for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality.

Method

The data was collected by a local private mental healthcare facility as part of digital feedback to design and implement supportive strategies. Data was collected between September 2021 and October 2021 from 121 HCW in the COVID-19 Field hospital in Oman via 'WhatsApp'.

Results

Chi square and binary logistic regression tests were administered to evaluate the data. The participants comprised of 63.6% females and 79.3% were between 30 and 39 years of age. Majority of the participants (65.2%) described themselves as 'financially unstable' and possess an average of 7.5 years of work experience. Of the participants 73.6% of the HCW were based solely in the field hospital for 6-9 months at the time of the survey. Majority of the participants denied the presence of emotional distress expressed through depression (92.6%), anxiety (92.6%) and poor quality of sleep (59.5%).

Conclusion

The findings of the present study reflect the HCW ability to cope during challenging situations likely owing to a variety of environmental, social and personal protective factors. The findings of this study can translate into further research on identifying and addressing stressors and targeting the enhancement of protective factors to safeguard the well-being of HCW.

Factors affecting the work passion of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study in Thailand

PURPOSE

This qualitative study explores the factors influencing physicians' work passion during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Thai medical context.

METHODS

Using an appreciative inquiry (AI) approach, we conducted qualitative interviews with 30 physicians from a public hospital in Thailand to investigate the factors that influence passion for their professional work (work passion).

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed 12 codes influencing physician work passion, which were grouped into four themes: job factors (meaningful work, challenging tasks, task accomplishment, autonomy, work-life balance); organizational factors (fairness, positive environment); relationship factors (having a role model, psychological support, collaboration, recognition and respect); and individual factors (spiritual drive).

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to developing knowledge about work passion among physicians and provide information to develop effective strategies to harness and manage work passion, thus improving clinical practice and healthcare outcomes. This qualitative study sheds light on the factors that influence physician work passion during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, providing valuable information for future research and guiding the development of strategies to optimize work passion and its impact on clinical practice.

Techno-Stress Creators, Burnout and Psychological Health among Remote Workers during the Pandemic: The Moderating Role of E-Work Self-Efficacy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working was pervasively implemented, causing an increase in technology-related job demands. Concurrently, there was an increase in psychological problems in the occupational population. This study on remote workers tested a moderated mediation model positing burnout, conceptualized according to the Burnout Assessment Tool, as the mediator between techno-stressors and psychological health outcomes and e-work self-efficacy as a protective personal resource. A sample of 225 remote workers filled out anonymous questionnaires measuring techno-stressors, e-work self-efficacy, burnout, and psychological health symptoms (i.e., depressive mood and anxiety symptoms). The data were analyzed using structural equation mediation and moderated mediation models, adopting a parceling technique. The results showed that burnout totally mediated the relationship between techno-stressors and depressive mood, while partially mediating the association between techno-stressors and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, e-work self-efficacy buffered the positive effects of techno-stressors on depressive mood and anxiety symptoms through burnout. The present research attested to the relevance of techno-stressors for the psychological health of remote workers and supported burnout as a mediator of this process, although anxiety symptoms were also directly related to techno-stressors. Moreover, the protective role of domain-specific self-efficacy was confirmed in the realm of remote working. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.

Work stressors, work-family conflict, parents' depressive symptoms and perceived parental concern for their children's mental health during COVID-19 in Canada: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Work-related stressors and work-family conflict are important social determinants of mental health. While the impact of these stressors on parents' mental health is well documented, we know comparatively less about their impact on children's mental health. Furthermore, though the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered these stressors, particularly with the increase in teleworking, major knowledge gaps persist regarding the association between parents' stressors and perceived parental concern for their children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the stress contagion perspective, this study tests (1) the mediating role of parents' depressive symptoms with parental concern for their children's mental health, and (2) whether these associations vary depending on whether parents had the opportunity to engage in telework.

METHODS

A path analysis was performed from a cross-sectional analytic sample of 780 employed parents in the province of Quebec (Canada). The same model was then stratified by teleworking opportunity. The model's indirect associations were obtained by the bootstrap bias-corrected method with 1,000 replications.

RESULTS

The results show that the stressors of work-to-family conflict, increased difficulties in work-family balance since the COVID-19 pandemic, irregular schedules, low esteem derived from work, and job insecurity were all indirectly associated with an increase in parental concern for their children's mental health through increased parents' depressive symptoms. However, some associations differ depending on teleworking status. The indirect associations involving increased difficulties in work-family balance since the COVID-19 pandemic as well as irregular work schedules were observed only in the teleworking group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study fills a gap in research on the association between the work-family interface and parental concern for their children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the importance of concerted and cohesive action between child health policies and those regarding work and work-family balance to prevent work-related psychosocial risks, particularly considering the post pandemic expanded and persistent reliance on teleworking.

Progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian healthcare workers' emotional burden and the effects on professional fulfillment at the end of the third wave: a longitudinal study

Introduction

Even though the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health remain unknown, such effects might negatively impact health services and patient safety, especially in countries like Brazil, where there is little investment in public health policies.

Objectives

To assess how the mental health indicators of Brazilian healthcare workers progressed between the beginning and 2 years after the pandemic (at the end of the third wave when there was a significant decrease in the number of new cases and deaths).

Methods

The sample comprised healthcare workers whose mental health indicators have been monitored since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil. The potential participants were addressed via social media and contacted through class councils and health institutions across Brazil. A total of 165 participants answered instruments at the baseline and 2 years after the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Redcap platform and addressed symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and professional fulfillment).

Results

Brazilian healthcare workers faced three periods of intensified incidence of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 for 2 years. Approximately one-third of the sample still experiences high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Insomnia indicators remained the most prevalent compared to the baseline assessment, while post-traumatic stress symptoms (p = 0.04) and professional fulfillment (p = 0.005) decreased.

Conclusion

The lack of positive changes in mental health indicators coupled with decreased professional fulfillment over time highlights the pandemic's chronic effects and the need for organizations to monitor these workers' mental health, especially in developing countries like Brazil, where there is a high demand for health services and public policies are poorly structured and unstable.

'We are not here to enforce; we are here for the people' Factors influencing performance of contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Background

Provider-initiated contact tracing (CT) is an important measure to slow down the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. However, carrying out effective CT depends on the collaboration between the patient and the contact tracer. To improve CT, it is important to understand which factors influence contact tracers in being able to carry out CT during large pandemics.

Methods

We performed individual semi-structured interviews with nine contact tracers working for the COVID-19 unit of the Public Health Service (PHS) Rotterdam-Rijnmond, the Netherlands, to explore their experiences with carrying out CT. Data were collected between July 2020 and December 2020. The interview protocol was structured based on the CT tasks and guided by the literature and the framework explaining adherence to clinical practice guidelines.

Results

In general, CT seemed to be carried out satisfactorily. Individual factors (interviewing techniques and skills, attitude towards the patient and attitude towards CT), factors related to the patient (cooperativeness and engagement, emotions, language and culture and (mis)information), guideline-related factors (characteristics) and factors related to the organisation (interactions with colleagues, support from management, workload and training) were found to influence the carrying out of CT.

Conclusion

To be well prepared for future pandemics, it is important to explore strategies that can be effective to support the contact tracer in performing CT, support patients in feeling comfortable to be engaged and ways to reach more consistency in policies and protocols.

Prevalence and associated factors of mental health disorders among Brazilian healthcare workers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil affected mental health among healthcare workers. To objective of this study was to evaluate the mental health of healthcare workers in in the central-west region of the Brazil, estimating the prevalence of mental health disorders, and investigating associated factors, perceptions of safety, and self-perceptions about mental health in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was divided into two parts that included general information and perceptions about the work process and identified symptoms using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. A total of 1,522 healthcare workers participated in the survey. Overall prevalence of symptoms was calculated for depression (58.7%), anxiety (59.7%), and stress (61.7%). Physicians had 3.75 times greater risk of depression (1.59-8.85, 95% CI). Independent variables associated with depression symptoms were not feeling safe with the way services were organized (1.12:1.03-1.21, 95% CI) and self-perception of poor mental health (8.06: 4.03-16.10% CI). Working in management was protective, and married professionals had 12% lower risk of exhibiting symptoms of depression (0.79-0.99, 95% CI). Participants with self-perception of poor mental health had 4.63 greater risk for symptoms of anxiety (2.58-8.31, 95% CI). Protective factors were not having sought support for mental health (0.90: 0.82-0.99, 95% CI), having a graduate degree (0.71: 0.54-0.94, 95% CI), and not having been diagnosed with COVID-19 (0.90: 0.83-0.98, 95% CI). Perception of poor mental health was associated with 6.95-fold greater chance of developing stress symptoms. Protective factors from stress were having a degree in dentistry (0.81: 0.68-0.97, 95% CI), residing in Mato Grosso do Sul (0.91: 0.85-0.98, 95% CI), and not having sought mental health support services (0.88: 0.82-0.95, 95% CI). The prevalence of mental health disorders is high among healthcare workers, and is associated with professional category, organization of services provided, and self-perception of poor mental health, reinforcing the need for preventative measures.

An Agenda for Advancing Research and Prevention at the Nexus of Work Organization, Occupational Stress, and Mental Health and Well-Being

Work characteristics and worker well-being are inextricably connected. In particular, the characteristics of work organization shape and perpetuate occupational stress, which contributes to worker mental health and well-being outcomes. Consequently, the importance of understanding and addressing connections between work organization, occupational stress, and mental health and well-being-the focus of this Special Issue-increasingly demand attention from those affected by these issues. Thus, focusing on these issues in the long-haul truck driver (LHTD) sector as an illustrative example, the purpose of this commentary is as follows: (1) to outline current research approaches and the extant knowledge base regarding the connections between work organization, occupational stress, and mental health; (2) to provide an overview of current intervention strategies and public policy solutions associated with the current knowledge base to protect and promote worker mental health and well-being; and (3) to propose a two-pronged agenda for advancing research and prevention for workers during the 21st century. It is anticipated that this commentary, and this Special Issue more broadly, will both echo numerous other calls for building knowledge and engaging in this area and motivate further research within complementary current and novel research frameworks.

Psychosocial risks emerged from COVID-19 pandemic and workers' mental health

This paper examines the impact of work in a pandemic context on workers' mental health. Psychosocial risks have always been a challenging aspect of workplace health and safety practices. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected workplaces in all sectors causing unexpected changes in work organization and working conditions, leading to the emergence of new psychosocial risks for health and wellbeing of workers. This mini-review aims to identify the main work stressors during pandemic period and related mental health problems to suggest recommendations and adjust health and safety practices regarding workplace mental health. A literature search has been performed using MEDLINE/PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases, selecting articles focusing on work-related stressors and workers' mental health problems related to the pandemic. Specific psychosocial risks have been identified, including fear of contagion, telework-related risks, isolation and stigmatization, rapid digitalization demands, job insecurity, elevated risk of violence at work or home, and work-life imbalance, among others. All those risks can lead to elevated levels of stress among workers and affect their mental health and wellbeing, especially in terms of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. As one of the social determinants of health, the workplace has an important and moderating role in workers' health. Therefore, in the pandemic context more than ever health protection practices at the workplace should be devoted to mental health problems. Recommendations provided in this study are expected to contribute to workplace practices to preserve and promote workers' mental health.

Physical Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Population of Italian Healthcare Workers

SARS-CoV-2 infection often causes symptoms and illness that can last for months after the acute phase, i.e., so-called "Long COVID" or Post-acute COVID-19. Due to the high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among Healthcare Workers (HCWs), post-COVID-19 symptoms can be common and threaten workers' occupational health and healthcare systems' functioning. The aim of this cross-sectional, observational study was to present data related to post-COVID-19 outcomes in a population of HCWs infected by COVID-19 from October 2020 to April 2021, and to identify possible factors associated with the persistence of illness, such as gender, age, previous medical conditions, and features of acute illness. A total of 318 HCWs who had become infected by COVID-19 were examined and interviewed approximately two months after their recovery from the infection. The clinical examinations were performed by Occupational Physicians in accordance with a specific protocol at the Occupational Medicine Unit of a tertiary hospital in Italy. The mean age of the participants was 45 years old, and 66.7% of the workers were women while 33.3% were men; the sample mainly consisted of nurses (44.7%). During the medical examination, more than half of the workers mentioned that they had experienced multiple residual bouts of illness after the acute phase of infection. Men and women were similarly affected. The most reported symptom was fatigue (32.1%), followed by musculoskeletal pain (13.6%) and dyspnea (13.2%). In the multivariate analysis, dyspnea (p < 0.001) and fatigue (p < 0.001) during the acute stage of illness and the presence of any limitation in working activities, in the context of fitness for a work evaluation performed while the occupational medicine surveillance program was being conducted (p = 0.025), were independently associated with any post-COVID-19 symptoms, which were considered final outcomes. The main post-COVID-19 symptoms-dyspnea, fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain-showed significant associations with dyspnea, fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain experienced during the acute stage of infection, with the presence of limitations in working activities, and pre-existing pneumological diseases. A normal weight according to body mass index was a protective factor. The identification of vulnerable workers as those with limitations in working activities, pneumological diseases, a high BMI, and of an older age and the implementation of preventive measures are key factors for preserving Occupational Health. Fitness-to-work evaluations performed by Occupational Physicians can be considered a complex index of overall health and functionality that can identify workers who may suffer from relevant post-COVID-19 symptoms.

A Multicenter Survey of Pediatric-Neonatal Transport Teams in the United States to Assess the Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Staffing

Objective

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented burnout in frontline health care providers. However, the impact of the pandemic on interfacility pediatric and neonatal transport team members has not been studied. The current study uses a survey design to document the impact of the pandemic on pediatric and neonatal transport team members with a focus on staffing and resilience promotion strategies.

Methods

Data for this study came from a short cross-sectional survey distributed to members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Transport Medicine.

Results

Sixty-six teams responded (around 45%). Forty-one respondents (62%) reported vacancies on their transport teams, with 35 (53.8%) reporting more vacancies during the pandemic. Forty percent of highly trained registered nurses and respiratory therapists from specialty teams left their positions for those with better compensation during the pandemic. Forty-two percent of respondents were not trained to recognize burnout, stress, or compassion fatigue.

Conclusion

Our study shows that half of the respondents had more vacancies during the pandemic than in previous years and reported difficulty in filling those positions. We were unable to link the vacancies to the pandemic and burnout because hospitalizations and transports in the pediatric facilities decreased during the pandemic; however, we do report that coronavirus disease 2019 exposure before the vaccine was a source of stress for team members. There are opportunities to improve the identification of burnout and to foster resilience and boost retention of this highly skilled niche workforce.

Prevalence and determinants of Italian physicians' burnout in the "post-COVID-19" era

PURPOSE

Several studies investigated prevalence and determinants of physicians' burnout during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only a few during the chronic phase of the pandemic. This study thus aimed to examine this topic referring to the "post-COVID-19 era", defined as a chronic and likely-to-be endemic status quo.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, online survey (November 2021-January 2022) was addressed to physicians in Lombardia (Northern Italy). Besides socio-demographic and COVID-19-related data, measures of personal, work- and patient-related burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory; CBI), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), and self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale) were collected. Linear/generalized linear models were run to test associations/predictions of interest.

RESULTS

Among the 958 respondents, burnout symptoms were clinically significant in 18.5% of them. Predictive models showed that female sex (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.42-1.27), younger age (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.59-1.48), shorter job tenure (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.62-1.65), trainee status (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.16-7.10), higher PHQ-8 (OR = 1.260, 95% CI 1.16-1.37), and GAD-7 scores (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.30) increased the risk to suffer from clinical burnout. COVID-19-related variables were mostly not related/associated to burnout levels.

CONCLUSION

In Italy, physicians' burnout is moderately prevalent also in the chronic phase of the pandemic, with its determinants being more intrinsic than environmental. The development of effective interventions is needed to help physicians cope with the new challenges of their job.

Personal and work-related factors associated with mental health among auto workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Little is known about the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-healthcare workers, especially among those who weathered unemployment related to shutdowns and supply-chain disruptions. We administered a cross-sectional survey (May - October 2021) to understand patterns between personal and work-related predictors and mental health symptoms among in-person auto workers in the United States (N = 1,165). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 measured the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Predictors included the presence of financial/family stressors, fear of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, perceptions of safety climate/culture, and clarity of workplace COVID-19 protocols. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between the predictors and anxiety symptoms alone, depressive symptoms alone, and both anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to no symptoms, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, employee type, COVID-19 infection history, and preexisting psychological or psychiatric disorders. Experiencing financial/family stressors (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.65, 95 % CI: 1.86-3.78) and feeling very concerned over SARS-CoV-2 exposure (AOR: 2.12, 95 % CI: 1.47-3.06) increased the odds of having both anxiety and depressive symptoms in comparison to experiencing no stressors, and feeling less than very concerned over exposure, respectively. Positive perceptions of safety climate/culture (AOR = 0.79, 95 % CI: 0.75-0.84) and strong clarity of COVID-19 protocols (AOR = 0.91, 95 %CI: 0.84-0.99) were associated with lower odds of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of job security and feeling safe at work in affecting the psychological impact of the pandemic on workers. Considerations for COVID-19 prevention in the workplace and mental health should go hand-in-hand.

Workplace Mistreatment and Health Conditions Prior and during the COVID-19 in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

This study examined the relationship between workplace mistreatment, including discrimination, abuse, and overworking, and health problems among full-time workers prior to and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in South Korea.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2017 and 2020-2021 Korean Working Conditions Surveys, including the final sample of 44,425 participants. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between workplace mistreatment and health problems among workers by gender. Interaction analysis was conducted to establish the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and health problems related to mistreatment. The occupational, demographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds were adjusted.

RESULTS

We found a significant association between workplace mistreatment and health problems, including headaches, eyestrain, and anxiety. The association increased after the COVID-19 pandemic: "discrimination" (men (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.93-2.65), women (OR 2.73, 95% CI 2.36-3.17)); abuse (men (OR 5.42, 95% CI 2.87-10.23), women (OR 4.70, 95% CI 3.12-7.08)); and overworking: men (OR 2.36, 95% CI 2.01-2.77), women (OR 3.52, 95% CI 2.68-4.61). The interaction indicates an increased incidence of people having health problems due to workplace mistreatment (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Statistically, employees who experience workplace mistreatment have worse health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the job environment and increased the association between workplace mistreatment and health problems. To eliminate the health problems related to workplace mistreatment, it is necessary to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work and employee health conditions.

Counterintuitive consequences of COVID-19 on healthcare workers: A meta-analysis of the relationship between work engagement and job satisfaction

Background

Studies conducted in the health sector have determined a positive relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement. However, this paper reveals that this relationship turns into a negative or non-significant relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore the reasons for inconsistency in research findings in this critical period through a meta-analysis.

Methods

This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and PICO framework. Online databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and additional records from other databases were searched without any time limitation, and all studies published in English that reported the correlation between work engagement and job satisfaction were included in the analysis. In total, 36 individual correlation coefficients were synthesized. R statistical language was used to analyze the data.

Result

A total of 36 studies with a sample size of 16,087 were synthesized. The overall effect size was found as r = 0.57 (95% CI [0.50-0.64]). While the moderating effect of national culture was not statistically significant, presence of COVID-19 as the significant moderator explained 37.08% of effect size heterogeneity. Such that the presence of COVID-19 has transformed the positive relationship between work engagement and job satisfaction into a negative but statistically non-significant relationship.

Conclusion

This study empirically challenges the existing assumptions about the positive link between work engagement and job satisfaction. The results of the research can be a guide for managers and policymakers. Specifically, based on these results, different mechanisms can be put in place to support work engagement and, in turn, job satisfaction in the COVID-19 process.

High Emotional Demands at Work and Poor Mental Health in Client-Facing Workers

This study investigated the association between emotional demands and depression or anxiety in a wide range of jobs. We used data from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey (n = 50,032) for all occupational classifications, with no limitations placed on job title or employment type. Among the full set of regular paid workers in addition to self-employed, unpaid family workers, and informal employees such as independent contractors, 23,989 respondents worked with “customers, passengers, students, or patients” (i.e., clients). Emotional demands were evaluated using two questions: handling angry clients and needing to hide feelings for work performance. Any depression or anxiety over the last 12 months was taken to indicate poor mental health. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to calculate adjusted ORs with 95% confidence intervals for the influence of emotional demands on mental health, adjusting for demographic factors (age, gender, education, income), occupational psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, weekly work hours and job insecurity. The prevalence of emotional demands was higher in self-employed and informal employees than in regular paid employees. The more frequent the exposure to the two emotional demands combined was, the higher the risk of depression or anxiety. High psychological demands, low social support, and low job security each further increased the risk of poor mental health. Emotional demands turned out to be widespread in the entire economy, were not limited to service or sales occupations, and were more evident in precarious work. The contribution of emotional demands and other preventable job stressors to the burden of depression or anxiety in society may be substantial.

A Concise Occupational Mental Health Screening Tool for South African Workplaces

Mental health in the workplace is becoming of ever greater importance. General occupational health surveillance programmes are already in widespread use, with established referral systems for treatment and rehabilitation, and the same mechanisms could be expanded to include mental health screening and intervention. This study aimed to develop a concise composite mental health screening tool, based on analysis of existing data, for application in routine occupational health surveillance in South Africa. Data from workplace occupational health surveillance programs from 2,303 participants were analysed. Participants completed a number of questions/scaled items collated into a survey format, and partook in an interview with a psychologist. The data was analysed using frequency of positive self-reports, Chi square to calculate associations with outcomes, Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis to explore predictive ability, and binomial logistic regression to calculate the relative contribution of markers to outcomes. An exploratory factor analysis was further conducted on identified items. A general workplace model with 14 markers (and a maritime workplace model with 17 markers) were identified. The factor analysis suggested their organisation into five domains (similar for both models), namely neurocognitive health, common mental disorders, history of adaptation in occupational specific contexts, family-work interface, and stress overload. The study’s data-driven approach proposed a concise composite screener with less than 50 items, comprising five domains. This tool appears useful in identifying employees at risk for workplace injuries or poor mental health outcomes, and could be applied to related workplace settings in South Africa.

Return to Work of Healthcare Workers after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Determinants of Physical and Mental Health

Introduction. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has involved healthcare workers (HCWs) both as caregivers and as patients. This study is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the HCWs working in a third-level hospital in Central Italy who were infected with COVID-19 from March 2020 to April 2021. This research aims at identifying the physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs infected with COVID-19 who returned to work after the infection, the determinants of those outcomes, such as age and sex, and the identification of possible vulnerable professional groups. Methods. A questionnaire about the acute illness, the experience of returning to work, and health perceptions after the disease was administered to 427 healthcare workers 3 months after recovering from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results. The majority interviewed (84.5%) reported symptoms at the time of the positive test, with no significant differences regarding age or sex, while a significant difference in the mean age was found regarding hospitalization (p < 0.001). At 3 months after the infection, females (p = 0.001), older workers (p < 0.001), and healthcare assistants (p < 0.001) were more likely to report persistent symptoms. Sex (p = 0.02) and age (p = 0.006) influenced the quality of sleep after the infection. At work, the nurses group reported increase in workload (p = 0.03) and worse relationships (p = 0.028). At 3 months after the infection, female workers perceived worse physical (p = 0.002) and mental (p < 0.001) health status according to the SF-12. A negative correlation was found between age and PCS score (p < 0.001) but not MCS score (p = 0.86). A significant difference in PCS score was found between nurses and physicians (p = 0.04) and between residents and all other groups (p < 0.001). Finally, the group of workers reporting sleep alterations showed lower PCS and MCS scores (p < 0.001) and working relationships had an impact on MCS scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Age, sex, and type of job had an impact on physical and mental outcomes. Organizing specific interventions, also tailored to professional sub-groups, should be a target for healthcare systems to protect and boost the physical and mental health of their workers.

Special Issue “Rethinking the Subjective Wellbeing for a New Workplace Scenario”

From the public health policies’ view, promoting subjective wellbeing is a must because it positively influences employee health and longevity [...]

Job Demands, Work Functioning and Mental Health in Dutch Nursing Home Staff during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Study

COVID-19 posed enormous challenges for nursing home staff, which may have caused stress and mental health problems. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of mental health problems among nursing home staff and investigate the differences in job demands, work functioning and mental health between staff with and without COVID contact or COVID infection and across different levels of COVID worries. In this cross-sectional study, 1669 employees from 10 nursing home organizations filled in an online questionnaire between June and September 2020. The questionnaire measured the participants’ characteristics, COVID contact, infection and worries, job demands, work functioning, depressive symptoms and burnout. Differences were investigated with multilevel models to account for clustering at the organization level. Of the participants, 19.1% had high levels of depressive symptoms and 22.2% burnout. Job demands, work functioning, depressive symptoms and burnout differed between participants who never worried and participants who often or always worried about the COVID crisis. Differences were smaller for participants with and without COVID contact or infection. Most models improved when clustering was accounted for. Nursing homes should be aware of the impact of COVID worries on job demands, work functioning and mental health, both at the individual and organizational level.