A study by Deakin University, in partnership with Eastern Health, has found that over the last three years, frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) have noted increased workloads and exhaustion that have translated into increasing role changes and intention to quit.  

Psychological distress and poor wellbeing continue to persist into 2023 among this cohort and have not significantly changed from the high levels noted at the end of 2020. Key contributing factors for these negative outcomes observed during the study include:  

• From a professional standpoint, better supervisor support for mental health has been instrumental in shielding the mental wellbeing of FHWs. Additionally, perceived risk of COVID-19 infection from their workplace remains a key risk factor for poor mental health.  
• Regarding individual considerations, robust physical and mental health significantly protected against mental strain and decreased wellbeing. On the other hand, FHWs who a propensity for worry about COVID-19 infection were more susceptible to experiencing mental health difficulties during the pandemic.  
• An important but often overlooked factor is FHWs’ social and family relationships, which was identified as a key determinant of FHWs’ mental health and overall wellbeing. Relationship stress and deterioration in quality of social relationships during COVID-19 was associated with heightened psychological distress and reduced wellbeing, highlighting the importance of protecting FHWs’ relational health during times of distress.  

The findings have been published in journals, presented at conferences, and informed the development of the Professional practice guidelines for supporting the mental health of frontline healthcare workers (also attached below).

Thanks to all VHA members that participated in the study via our promotion of the surveys. 

The study has been published in a number of papers and can be accessed via the links below:  

• Sheen, J., Clancy, E.M., Considine, J., Dwyer, A., Tchernegovski, P., Aridas, A., Lee, B.E.C., Reupert, A., Boyd, L., 2022. “Did You Bring It Home with You?” A Qualitative Investigation of the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Victorian Frontline Healthcare Workers and Their Families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084897  
• Lee, B. E. C., Ling, M., Boyd, L., Olsson, C., & Sheen, J. (2023). The prevalence of probable mental health disorders among hospital healthcare workers during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.012 
• Lee, B. E. C., Ling, M., Boyd, L., Olsson, C. A., & Sheen, J. (2023). Key predictors of psychological distress and wellbeing in Australian frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 (Omicron wave). Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1200839