The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 3 million people worldwide across more than 200 countries. In the United Kingdom alone, at the end of April, there were almost 160,000 confirmed cases with more than 20,000 deaths. This has undoubtedly had significant physical and economical impact on the public. Healthcare workers are at high risk of developing life-threatening infectious diseases with increased exposure to patients' blood and bodily fluids. As such, health care workers arguably experience heightened anxiety and are predisposed to greater negative psycho-social impact from the current COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physical and psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. This will be performed in two phases. In phase 1, investigators will collect information to evaluate the current psychiatric symptom profile (in particular, screening for anxiety or depression related symptoms), alcohol use, sleep-related complaints and overall well-being among healthcare workers who participate in this survey (with a focus on junior doctors). In addition the association of these mental health and behavioural parameters with the prevalence of stressful occasions, such as long-hours, unpredictability of work / redeployment, availability of personal protection equipment and concerns regarding family/relationship and self will be assessed. In phase 2, investigators will then reassess for the development or progression of psychiatric symptoms, use of alcohol and other substances, behavioural or interpersonal relationship changes as well as physical well-being at 6 weeks and 4- months. Physical well-being is assessed through the presence of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection and absence from work. Specifically, investigators will study the impact of variable provision of personal protection equipment (supply and training), extended working hours, and concern for well-being of family members, on work morale and anxiety levels. Another aim is also study the longer term mental health consequences of the current pandemic on health care workers.
Other: Questionnaire including validated tools such as Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD- 7), the 7-item insomnia severity index
The electronic survey for phase 1 detailing questions regarding affective symptoms, behaviour and ongoing concerns will be sent and implied consent assumed from responders. A proportion of these patients who give consent to be repeatedly contacted throughout the study period will be recruited into phase 2 of the study at 6 weeks and 4 months
Other Name: Array
Other: Questionnaire, same tools as before, with inclusion of PCL5 questionnaire too.
Follow-up electronic surveys including questions regarding affective symptoms, behavioural changes and mental well-being will be sent at 6-weeks and 4-months following the initial survey. This will be sent to participants from Groups 1-3 that provided consent to receive these follow-up questionnaires.
Other: Informed consent
Participants will need to give their consent to participate to the survey after reading PIS
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Aged >=18
2. Electronic consent
3. Either:
a - healthcare workers in contact with patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 b -
Healthcare staff not having direct patient contact c - Non-healthcare academic staff with
no direct patient contact
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Age<18
2. Individuals not belonging to the 3 cohorts of interest listed in the inclusion
criteria.
3. Those who are not able to understand written English will be excluded, indeed by the
design and methodology of the study, as the study invite and all other information
provided is in English.
Ajay K Gupta
London, United Kingdom
Ajay Gupta, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator
Queen Mary University London