Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study
Objectives This paper explored the self-reported prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reports the association between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors.Design A cross-sectional online survey...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-08-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e061331.full |
| _version_ | 1817996996820074496 |
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| author | Anya Göpfert Maria Van Hove Carolyn Chew-Graham Marta Buszewicz Louis Appleby James Martin Ruth Riley Johanna Spiers Anna Kathryn Taylor Kevin Teoh Alice Dunning |
| author_facet | Anya Göpfert Maria Van Hove Carolyn Chew-Graham Marta Buszewicz Louis Appleby James Martin Ruth Riley Johanna Spiers Anna Kathryn Taylor Kevin Teoh Alice Dunning |
| author_sort | Anya Göpfert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives This paper explored the self-reported prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reports the association between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors.Design A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted, using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and Health and Safety Executive scale to measure psychological well-being and working cultures of junior doctors.Setting The National Health Service in the UK.Participants A sample of 456 UK junior doctors was recruited online during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2021.Results Junior doctors reported poor mental health, with over 40% scoring extremely severely depressed (45.2%), anxious (63.2%) and stressed (40.2%). Both gender and ethnicity were found to have a significant influence on levels of anxiety. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis outlined the specific working conditions which significantly predicted depression (increased demands (β=0.101), relationships (β=0.27), unsupportive manager (β=−0.111)), anxiety (relationships (β=0.31), change (β=0.18), demands (β=0.179)) and stress (relationships (β=0.18), demands (β=0.28), role (β=0.11)).Conclusions The findings illustrate the importance of working conditions for junior doctors’ mental health, as they were significant predictors for depression, anxiety and stress. Therefore, if the mental health of junior doctors is to be improved, it is important that changes or interventions specifically target the working environment rather than factors within the individual clinician. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:31:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0464c90566664fecb19c2e93a40fe64b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:31:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-0464c90566664fecb19c2e93a40fe64b2022-12-22T02:17:40ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-08-0112810.1136/bmjopen-2022-061331Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey studyAnya Göpfert0Maria Van Hove1Carolyn Chew-Graham2Marta Buszewicz3Louis Appleby4James Martin5Ruth Riley6Johanna Spiers7Anna Kathryn Taylor8Kevin Teoh9Alice Dunning10Torbay Council, Torquay, UKUniversity of Exeter, Exeter, UK3 School of Medicine, Keele University Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele, UKResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UKDepartment of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UKSocial and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKSchool of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKDepartment of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck University of London, London, UKYorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UKObjectives This paper explored the self-reported prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reports the association between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors.Design A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted, using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and Health and Safety Executive scale to measure psychological well-being and working cultures of junior doctors.Setting The National Health Service in the UK.Participants A sample of 456 UK junior doctors was recruited online during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2021.Results Junior doctors reported poor mental health, with over 40% scoring extremely severely depressed (45.2%), anxious (63.2%) and stressed (40.2%). Both gender and ethnicity were found to have a significant influence on levels of anxiety. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis outlined the specific working conditions which significantly predicted depression (increased demands (β=0.101), relationships (β=0.27), unsupportive manager (β=−0.111)), anxiety (relationships (β=0.31), change (β=0.18), demands (β=0.179)) and stress (relationships (β=0.18), demands (β=0.28), role (β=0.11)).Conclusions The findings illustrate the importance of working conditions for junior doctors’ mental health, as they were significant predictors for depression, anxiety and stress. Therefore, if the mental health of junior doctors is to be improved, it is important that changes or interventions specifically target the working environment rather than factors within the individual clinician.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e061331.full |
| spellingShingle | Anya Göpfert Maria Van Hove Carolyn Chew-Graham Marta Buszewicz Louis Appleby James Martin Ruth Riley Johanna Spiers Anna Kathryn Taylor Kevin Teoh Alice Dunning Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study BMJ Open |
| title | Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study |
| title_full | Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study |
| title_fullStr | Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study |
| title_short | Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study |
| title_sort | relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the uk during the covid 19 pandemic a cross sectional survey study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e061331.full |
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