Work-Related Factors Associated with Psychological Distress Among Grocery Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Durocher B ; Esquivel NS ; Flynn MA ; Kaur H ; Menéndez CC ; Payne J ; Sivén J ; Strazza K ; Viator C
• Description:
  Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery workers experienced new (in addition to existing) work-related stressors that put them at risk for psychological distress. This study uses the job demands-resources theory to identify and describe the job demands and resources associated with grocery worker distress. Methods: This study analyzed data from 75 90-minute interviews focusing on grocery workers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the interviews, participants also answered questions associated with the Patient Health Questionnaire 4, a validated measure of psychological distress. Results: Overall, the study found that 36% of study participants exhibited mild to severe psychological distress at the time of their interviews, and a greater proportion of young, female, and White participants reported mild to severe psychological distress than did participants in other subgroups. Qualitative data suggest that the prevalence of psychological distress among participants was likely higher at the beginning of the pandemic and resulted from fear of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, conflict with customers, workplace discrimination, increased workload, and designation as an essential worker. Although about half of the participants in the sample said that their employers provided support to improve workers' mental health, the interviews suggest that more could be done. Conclusions: These findings may lead to opportunities to improve worker well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for future public health emergencies. Proposed strategies include implementing public health measures as advised by infectious disease experts; offering information and training; providing sick leave, long-term hazard pay, higher wages, and mental health benefits; and better distribution of workloads. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: COVID-19 COVID-19 Grocery Stores Grocery Workers Job Stress Mental Health Pandemic Psychological Distress Psychological Effects Qualitative Analysis Questionnaires Retail Workers Wellbeing

  More +
• ISSN:
  2773-0654
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; North Carolina ; Ohio ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration ; DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  3
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070229
• Citation:
  AJPM Focus 2024 Dec; 3(6):100272
• Contact Point Address:
  Julianne Payne, PhD, RTI International, 3040 E Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
• Email:
  jcpayne@rti.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  AJPM Focus
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1b68b9491b5d8b1605b8ccd04f1a3bd49c800d57fa573e52febff3b6def36d23e3295e53e543b65f0538a099daf32454d6249bdbb8d26e4192a343dbbc868f24
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208480/cdc_208480_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 583.40 KB ]