Proximity to COVID-19 patients and role-specific mental health outcomes of healthcare professionals

Abstract

Background

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) experience extreme hardships and challenges during the time of COVID-19, due to their professional roles. At the same time, HCPs may experience a feeling of importance as contributing members of the community, which could enhance their well-being alongside COVID-19-work-related stressors.

Aims

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between HCPs' proximity to COVID-19 patients and role-specific fears of COVID-19 and sense of emotional, social and psychological well-being.

Methods

Participants (N = 1,378) included: HCPs who treated COVID-19 patients (frontliners, n = 188), HCPs that did not work directly with COVID-19 patients (secondliners, n = 524), and a group of non-HCPs who served as the comparison group (n = 666). Participants completed the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale-21; Fear of COVID-19 Scale; Fear of COVID-19 Familial Infection Scale; and the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form.

Results

Results indicate that the comparison group reported higher levels of fear of COVID-19 compared to secondliners, while frontliners reported the highest levels of fear of infecting their families. Frontliners and secondliners HCPs reported significantly higher levels of social and psychological well-being compared to the non-HCP group.

Conclusions

This study indicates that there are role-specific mental health outcomes related to HCP’s proximity to COVID-19 patients.

Keywords:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• healthcare professionals
• frontline
• mental health
• well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was approved by the Shalvata Mental health Center Helsinki Committee, Hod Hasharon, Israel. Reference number: 0012-20-SHA.