Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39635774›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2024

A longitudinal study of healthcare workers' mental health during Western Australia's unique policy response to COVID-19.

Elizabeth A Newnham, Enrique L P Mergelsberg, Susanne Stanley, Sean Hood, Jessica Tearne, Antonio Celenza, Teresa Stevenson, Nahal Mavaddat, Gavin Demore, Hyranthi Kavanagh and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Elizabeth A NewnhamSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Australia; and Curtin enAble Institute, Perth, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5042-108X
Enrique L P MergelsbergEnBerg Analytics, Perth, Australia.
Susanne StanleyDivision of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Sean HoodDivision of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Australia; and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Mental Health Unit, North Metropolitan Health Service Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services (MHPHDS), Perth, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2852-7923
Jessica TearneState Major Trauma Unit, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia; and Department of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Australia.
Antonio CelenzaEmergency Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia; and Emergency Medicine Division, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Teresa StevensonRockingham Peel Group Mental Health Services, Rockingham, Australia.
Nahal MavaddatDiscipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6597-2597
Gavin DemoreEmergency Medicine Division, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Australia; and Western Australia Country Health Service, Perth, Australia.
Hyranthi KavanaghDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Australia.
Peter M McEvoySchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Australia; Curtin enAble Institute, Perth, Australia; and Centre for Clinical Interventions, North Metropolitan Health Service, Perth, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWestern Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was swift and effective in implementing public health protections and preventing the spread of the virus for the first 2 years. However, healthcare staff continued to be at increased risk of mental health concerns.

aimsTo investigate the longitudinal patterns of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in Western Australia, and the risk and protective factors associated with changes in status during the first wave.

methodParticipants comprised 183 healthcare staff working at tertiary hospitals and major clinics across Perth, for whom longitudinal data were available. Questionnaire data were collected before Western Australia's first major COVID-19 community wave in early 2022 and following the first wave in late 2022. Online surveys comprised validated measures assessing psychological symptoms, risk and protective factors, and original measures of workplace factors.

resultsOverall rates of PTSS, depression and anxiety remained stable across the two assessment points. However, latent growth models revealed that those with lower PTSS, depression or anxiety symptoms at baseline reported a larger increase in symptoms over time, and those with higher symptoms at baseline had a smaller decline over time, indicating a 'catch-up' effect. Workplace stressors, sleep difficulties and trauma exposure were key risk factors for changes in psychological symptoms from baseline, and workplace and social supports played protective roles.

conclusionsImprovements in systemic workplace factors are needed to support healthcare workers' mental health during periods of acute stress, even in settings with high levels of emergency preparedness.

Indexed as

Anxiety or fear-related disordersdepressive disorderslongitudinal dataservice developmenttrauma and stressor-related disorders

Identifiers

PMID39635774
PMCPMC11698194

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.