Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study
PurposeIn March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Previous virus outbreaks, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, appeared to have a great impact on the mental health of healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent mental health of healthcare workers differed from no...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1224112/full |
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| author | Maaike van der Noordt Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Bette Loef Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Floor M. Kroese Floor M. Kroese Marijn de Bruin Marijn de Bruin Sandra H. van Oostrom |
| author_facet | Maaike van der Noordt Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Bette Loef Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Floor M. Kroese Floor M. Kroese Marijn de Bruin Marijn de Bruin Sandra H. van Oostrom |
| author_sort | Maaike van der Noordt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeIn March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Previous virus outbreaks, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, appeared to have a great impact on the mental health of healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent mental health of healthcare workers differed from non-healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe used data from a large-scale longitudinal online survey conducted by the Corona Behavioral Unit in the Netherlands. Eleven measurement rounds were analyzed, from April 2020 to March 2021 (N = 16,615; number of observations = 64,206). Mental health, as measured by the 5-item Mental Health Inventory, was compared between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers over time, by performing linear GEE-analyses.ResultsMental health scores were higher among healthcare workers compared to non-healthcare workers during the first year of the pandemic (1.29 on a 0–100 scale, 95%-CI = 0.75–1.84). During peak periods of the pandemic, with over 100 hospital admissions or over 25 ICU admissions per day and subsequently more restrictive measures, mental health scores were observed to be lower in both healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers.ConclusionDuring the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed no relevant difference in mental health between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers in the Netherlands. To be better prepared for another pandemic, future research should investigate which factors hinder and which factors support healthcare workers to maintain a good mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f10e803d43bb49fc82735de83ec3a9eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-f10e803d43bb49fc82735de83ec3a9eb2023-11-23T11:21:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-11-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.12241121224112Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal studyMaaike van der Noordt0Karin I. Proper1Karin I. Proper2Karin I. Proper3Bette Loef4Cécile R. L. Boot5Cécile R. L. Boot6Cécile R. L. Boot7Floor M. Kroese8Floor M. Kroese9Marijn de Bruin10Marijn de Bruin11Sandra H. van Oostrom12Department of Public Health Foresight, Center for Health and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsDepartment Behaviour & Health, Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsSocietal Participation and Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment Behaviour & Health, Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsSocietal Participation and Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, NetherlandsWork, Health and Performance, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDepartment Behaviour & Health, Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsDepartment of Social, Health, and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsDepartment Behaviour & Health, Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsIQ Healthcare, Institute of Health Sciences, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDepartment Behaviour & Health, Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, NetherlandsPurposeIn March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Previous virus outbreaks, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, appeared to have a great impact on the mental health of healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent mental health of healthcare workers differed from non-healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe used data from a large-scale longitudinal online survey conducted by the Corona Behavioral Unit in the Netherlands. Eleven measurement rounds were analyzed, from April 2020 to March 2021 (N = 16,615; number of observations = 64,206). Mental health, as measured by the 5-item Mental Health Inventory, was compared between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers over time, by performing linear GEE-analyses.ResultsMental health scores were higher among healthcare workers compared to non-healthcare workers during the first year of the pandemic (1.29 on a 0–100 scale, 95%-CI = 0.75–1.84). During peak periods of the pandemic, with over 100 hospital admissions or over 25 ICU admissions per day and subsequently more restrictive measures, mental health scores were observed to be lower in both healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers.ConclusionDuring the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed no relevant difference in mental health between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers in the Netherlands. To be better prepared for another pandemic, future research should investigate which factors hinder and which factors support healthcare workers to maintain a good mental health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1224112/fullhealthcare workersmental healthCOVID-19longitudinal studyoccupational health |
| spellingShingle | Maaike van der Noordt Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Karin I. Proper Bette Loef Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Cécile R. L. Boot Floor M. Kroese Floor M. Kroese Marijn de Bruin Marijn de Bruin Sandra H. van Oostrom Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study Frontiers in Public Health healthcare workers mental health COVID-19 longitudinal study occupational health |
| title | Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study |
| title_full | Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study |
| title_fullStr | Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study |
| title_short | Mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study |
| title_sort | mental health of healthcare workers during the first year of the covid 19 pandemic in the netherlands a longitudinal study |
| topic | healthcare workers mental health COVID-19 longitudinal study occupational health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1224112/full |
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