Mental health status of healthcare versus other essential workers in Australia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Initial results from the collate project. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Toh, Wei Lin; Meyer, Denny; Phillipou, Andrea; Tan, Eric J; Van Rheenen, Tamsyn E; Neill, Erica; Rossell, Susan L
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 298(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Pandemic -- Coronavirus -- Health care professionals -- Psychological distress -- Negative emotions -- Quality of life; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113822
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Highlights: Healthcare and 'other essential' workers are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak. We aimed to characterise the top concerns endorsed and mental health of these groups. Top concerns across all groups related to the health and well-being of loved ones. Healthcare and other essential workers respectively had the best and worst mental health. More supports should be devoted to other essential workers to safeguard their well-being. Abstract: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has necessitated many healthcare workers operating on the frontlines. Another segment of the population whose mental well-being is being tested are the 'other essential workers' (e.g. supermarket workers). The current study aimed to compare the mental health of healthcare versus other essential workers in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 and you: mentaL heaLth in AusTralia now survEy (COLLATE) project is a nationwide online mental health survey launched on 1 April 2020, aimed at identifying key mental health concerns. Adults currently living in Australia were invited to take part, and non-discriminative snowball sampling was employed. Participants were partitioned into healthcare workers (HCW; n =905), other essential workers (OEW; n =810), and the general population (GNP; n =3443). Across all groups, top COVID-19 related concerns were primarily associated with the health and well-being of loved ones. In terms of current levels of depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life, HCWs fared the best, and OEWs fared the worst (with the GNP falling in between). In the face of this medical crisis, Australian HCWs seem to be managing their mental health relatively well, but more supports need to be devoted to OEWs to safeguard their mental well-being.