An online survey will be sent to healthcare workers (HCWs) in acute care hospitals to explore a variety of risk factors for negative psychological outcomes and levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms using validated scales. It is important to understand the sources of negative psychological impact on HCWs during this COVID-19 pandemic before hospitals and organizations can address and develop support programs to mitigate the stresses experienced by healthcare workers. Addressing and supporting the needs of our HCWs will be paramount in this COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks.
Previous work conducted by our group during the 2003 SARS outbreak demonstrated symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in healthcare workers (HCWs) working in
high-risk areas. Similar reports are emerging with regards to HCWs during COVID-19 which may
affect staff mental health outcomes which may have effects on staff absenteeism and
retention.
The study is a cross-sectional, multi-centered, hospital-based online survey conducted at
several Toronto hospitals. Participants will be recruited to participate in the voluntary
study via an internal e-mail that will contain a short description of the study and a link to
the online survey. The survey will take approximately 25 minutes to complete. The study group
will include HCW s from high-risk units (Emergency, ICU, and COVID-19 units) with a
comparison group of HCWs who are not directly involved in the assessment or management of
patients with COVID-19.
This study will evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCW's and
identify risk factors that may place HCWs at greater risk for negative psychological
outcomes. The survey will gather information such as s basic, non-identifying demographic
information, hospital and unit of work, quarantine and isolation, work with patients
diagnosed with COVID-19, loss of loved ones to COVID-19, understanding of the reasons for
PPE/ infection control directives, perceptions of risk to self and family, sources of
support. As well, Toronto is in the unique situation of having been at the centre of the 2003
Canadian SARS outbreak and presently experiencing the impact of the COVID-19. The
investigators propose that COVID-19 might have a differential impact on the psychological
wellbeing of current HCWs depending on whether they practiced during SARS. Our survey will
explore the differences of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare
workers who lived through the SARS outbreak and those who did not. The following validated
scales are embedded in the survey to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID pandemic:
Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7 (GAD-7) , and Patient
Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Open-ended questions will also provide respondents the
opportunity to relate aspects of working during the COVID-19 pandemic that are most difficult
and to provide additional comments on their unique experiences.
Inclusion Criteria:
HCW currently working at Toronto based hospitals: University Health Network (UHN),
Sunnybrook Health Sciences and William Osler Health System.
Exclusion Criteria: Not a healthcare worker
University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rima Styra, MD, MEd, Principal Investigator
University Health Network, Toronto