A Qualitative Analysis of Psychosocial Stressors and Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Frontline Healthcare Personnel in the United States

Details

• Personal Author:
  Becene IA ; Berrill JES ; Borba CPC ; Hankins J ; Nguyen KTNH ; Rich-Edwards JW ; Shah AH ; Stuart JJ ; West MG
• Description:
  There is a dearth of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of frontline healthcare personnel (HCP) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We examined workplace stressors, psychological manifestations of said stressors, and coping strategies reported through coded open-text responses from 1024 online surveys completed over two months by 923 HCP participating in three nationwide cohorts from Spring 2020. Our findings suggest that risk, job insecurity, frustration with hospital administration, inadequate access to personal protective equipment, and witnessing patient suffering and death contributed to deteriorating mental and physical health. Negative health impacts included the onset or exacerbation of anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms, including weight fluctuation, fatigue, and migraines. Coping mechanisms included substance use and food consumption, meditation and wellness, fitness, socializing with loved ones, and religious activities. Insights garnered from participants' responses will enable more personalized and effective psychosocial crisis prevention and intervention for frontline HCP in future health crises. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Fatigue Health Personnel Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Burnout Coping Coping Behavior COVID-19 Health Care Personnel Health Care Professional Health Effects Job Stress Mental Health Mental Health And Illness Occupational Stress Psychological Effects Psychosocial Factors Qualitative Analysis

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• ISSN:
  2667-3215
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; New York ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067833
• Citation:
  SSM Qual Res Health 2022 Dec; 2:100130
• Contact Point Address:
  Aarushi H. Shah, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Sociomedical Sciences, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032-3784, USA
• Email:
  ahs2193@cumc.columbia.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a4e68681c86c43767a7764d0984779a74429252fe56f35d26170084f16437b556b7f02567b81aa34fb193e135b77ead1335ec5ecf5873c61b17eb1fd3bff3613
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230088/cdc_230088_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 331.13 KB ]