TY - JOUR
T1 - Differences in the presentation of COVID-19-related psychosocial stress and general psychological distress and the relation between the number of care days and these symptoms among Japanese ward staff working exclusively with COVID-19 and support staff
AU - Nishihara, Tomoe
AU - Yoshihara, Kazufumi
AU - Ohashi, Ayako
AU - Kuroiwa, Mika
AU - Sudo, Nobuyuki
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the participants for their cooperation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Background: Psychological distress has been frequently observed in frontline healthcare workers under stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic; however, it is unclear if there are differences in the stress and symptoms experienced by staff members who work exclusively in a COVID-19 ward and support staff temporarily deployed to a COVID-19 ward. The present study investigated psychosocial stress specific to the care for patients with COVID-19 and psychological distress among ward staff working exclusively with COVID-19 and temporary support staff. Methods: The participants were full-time nurses and doctors working in COVID-19 wards or the ICU who provided face-to-face care to patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 outbreak in February of 2021. The data of 67 staff members (21 exclusively working with Covid-19 patients (group A) and 46 in the temporary support group (group B)) was available for study. Psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak (Tokyo Metropolitan Distress Scale for Pandemic [TMDP]) and general psychological distress (K6) were assessed. Results: The K6 score was significantly lower in group B than in group A (p =.006), but no significant difference was found in the total score of TMDP or its subscales. Positive correlations were found between TMDP and K6 for group B (p =.011), as was the number of days of care on TMDP-social (rs =.456, p =.001). Conclusion: Even though support staff members experienced lower psychological distress than staff working exclusively with COVID-19, COVID-19-related psychosocial stress specific to HCWs was comparable. The support staff also presented psychological distress associated with psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak, and the COVID-19-related social stress was enhanced as the number of working days increased. Our results show that all staff, not only those working exclusively with COVID-19 patients but also other support staff should be provided with care focusing on COVID-19-related psychosocial occupational stress.
AB - Background: Psychological distress has been frequently observed in frontline healthcare workers under stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic; however, it is unclear if there are differences in the stress and symptoms experienced by staff members who work exclusively in a COVID-19 ward and support staff temporarily deployed to a COVID-19 ward. The present study investigated psychosocial stress specific to the care for patients with COVID-19 and psychological distress among ward staff working exclusively with COVID-19 and temporary support staff. Methods: The participants were full-time nurses and doctors working in COVID-19 wards or the ICU who provided face-to-face care to patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 outbreak in February of 2021. The data of 67 staff members (21 exclusively working with Covid-19 patients (group A) and 46 in the temporary support group (group B)) was available for study. Psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak (Tokyo Metropolitan Distress Scale for Pandemic [TMDP]) and general psychological distress (K6) were assessed. Results: The K6 score was significantly lower in group B than in group A (p =.006), but no significant difference was found in the total score of TMDP or its subscales. Positive correlations were found between TMDP and K6 for group B (p =.011), as was the number of days of care on TMDP-social (rs =.456, p =.001). Conclusion: Even though support staff members experienced lower psychological distress than staff working exclusively with COVID-19, COVID-19-related psychosocial stress specific to HCWs was comparable. The support staff also presented psychological distress associated with psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak, and the COVID-19-related social stress was enhanced as the number of working days increased. Our results show that all staff, not only those working exclusively with COVID-19 patients but also other support staff should be provided with care focusing on COVID-19-related psychosocial occupational stress.
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U2 - 10.1186/s13030-023-00272-7
DO - 10.1186/s13030-023-00272-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85156186617
SN - 1751-0759
VL - 17
JO - BioPsychoSocial Medicine
JF - BioPsychoSocial Medicine
IS - 1
M1 - 17
ER -
