Evaluating the mental health and well-being of Canadian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak

• Published in: Healthcare management forum Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 205 - 210
• Main Authors: Wilbiks, Jonathan M. P., Best, Lisa A., Law, Moira A., Roach, Sean P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-07-2021
• Subjects: Adult; Canada - epidemiology; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - therapy; Female; Health Personnel - psychology; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Original; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - therapy; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Safety Management; SARS-CoV-2; Canada
• ISSN: 0840-4704; 2352-3883
• DOI: 10.1177/08404704211021109

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems have been under extreme levels of stress due to increases in patient distress and patient deaths. While additional research and public health funding initiatives can alleviate these systemic issues, it is also important to consider the ongoing mental health and well-being of professionals working in healthcare. By surveying healthcare workers working in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that there was an elevated level of depressive symptomatology in that population. We also found that when employees were provided with accurate and timely information about the pandemic, and additional protective measures in the workplace, they were less likely to report negative effects on well-being. We recommend that healthcare employers take these steps, as well as providing targeted mental health interventions, in order to maintain the mental health of their employees, which in turn will provide better healthcare at the population level.