Psychological Impact on the NHS staff at a Teaching Hospital in UK during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Aims:  To know the Psychological impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Hospital staff.

Methods:  The survey was conducted during the first wave of COVID-19 between 4^thJune 2020 to 5^th July 2020 at St. Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Permission was obtained from the Audit & Information Governance Department of St. Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Survey was done through Survey Monkey web site and used staff hospital e mail addressess to communicate with the hospital staff.

Results: COVID-19 Pandemic has significant effects on the mental health and wellbeing of Front Line Health Workers in UK as shown in this study.  Our study showed that major depressive symptoms were more common in non-doctors and doctors were more non-depressed. [Figure 3]      There was a slightly higher sub-threshold depression among doctors over other staff members. Altogether among both groups of the front the line health workers 57.79% were non-depressed, 25.32% had sub-threshold depressive symptoms, and 16.88% had major depressive symptoms. [Figure 3]

Conclusions:  It is noted from our study that Front Line Health Workers do not give priority to their mental health wellbeing, hence there should be a system to regularly assess mental health of Front Line Health Workers and they should be encouraged to seek advice which appeared lacking in the respondents.  It is important to mention that during the first wave, behavior, pathology and treatment of COVID-19 was not understood, and NHS staff at St. Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, like many other health care workers risked their own lives as Front Line Health Workers. It is not surprising that there was an impact on psychological wellbeing in such challenging circumstances.