The mental health of NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave Scottish cohort study

De Kock, J. H. et al. (2022) The mental health of NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave Scottish cohort study. BJPsych Open, 8(1), e23. (doi: 10.1192/bjo.2021.1079) (PMID:35043077) (PMCID:PMC8755549)

Abstract

Background: Health and social care workers (HSCWs) are at risk of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes (e.g. higher levels of anxiety and depression) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can have a detrimental effect on quality of care, the national response to the pandemic and its aftermath. Aims: A longitudinal design provided follow-up evidence on the mental health (changes in prevalence of disease over time) of NHS staff working at a remote health board in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigated the determinants of mental health outcomes over time. Method: A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted from July to September 2020. Participants self-reported levels of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7) and mental well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale) at baseline and 1.5 months later. Results: The analytic sample of 169 participants, working in community (43%) and hospital (44%) settings, reported substantial levels of depression and anxiety, and low mental well-being at baseline (depression, 30.8%; anxiety, 20.1%; well-being, 31.9%). Although mental health remained mostly constant over time, the proportion of participants meeting the threshold for anxiety increased to 27.2% at follow-up. Multivariable modelling indicated that working with, and disruption because of, COVID-19 were associated with adverse mental health changes over time. Conclusions: HSCWs working in a remote area with low COVID-19 prevalence reported substantial levels of anxiety and depression, similar to those working in areas with high COVID-19 prevalence. Efforts to support HSCW mental health must remain a priority, and should minimise the adverse effects of working with, and disruption caused by, the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This study was funded by the Scottish Chief Science Office’s Rapid Research into COVID-19 grant: COV/UHI/20/01 awarded to J.H.D.K.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cullen, Dr Breda
• Authors: De Kock, J. H., Latham, H. A., Cowden, R. G., Cullen, B., Narzisi, K., Jerdan, S., Munoz, S.-A., Leslie, S. J., McNamara, N., Boggon, A., and Humphry, R. W.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Journal Name: BJPsych Open
• Publisher: Royal College of Psychiatrists
• ISSN: 2056-4724
• ISSN (Online): 2056-4724
• Published Online: 07 January 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in BJPsych Open 8(1):e23
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License