S TAF F WE LLB E ING
Staff wellbeing: the long road back to normality
How are we caring for those that have cared beyond the immediate crisis of COVID-19? Lindsay Keeley, patient safety and quality lead at the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) provides an insight into how Trusts can support mental health and wellbeing in the wake of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant psychological trauma and subsequent physical harm globally and nationally. In addition, the emerging consequences of the pandemic have contributed to deteriorating mental health across the general population. Unfortunately, this has only contributed to an already underfunded mental healthcare service in crisis. As a result, it is creating anxiety and stress across all four nations of the United Kingdom (UK), Northern Ireland (NI), Wales, and Scotland. It is necessary to recognise and understand that mental health services (MHS) across the UK, NI, Wales, and Scotland were under strain even before the pandemic struck, due to a lack of funding and parity of esteem.1-3
The British Medical Association (BMA), before COVID-19, published a report in January 2020 highlighting the risks MHSs faced.4
Requesting the Government to go beyond parity of esteem, as the anticipated result of COVID-19, would only increase demand for MHSs.5
The Scottish Government, pre-COVID, also recognised that the demand for mental health treatment exceeded supply and service demand, with an escalation in the reporting of depression and anxiety in clinical NHS staff.14 Public Health Wales National Health
Service (NHS) acknowledged they had serious concerns about the MHSs even before COVID-19, due to long waiting times and gaps in service provision.15 In NI, mental health problems, pre- pandemic, were 20-25% higher than those in the UK due to lack of funding.16
As a result,
the Department of Health (DH) NI published a Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP)17
to
mitigate the effects of the pandemic on psychological distress and mental ill-health.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Mental health, wellbeing and COVID-19
Studies measuring the indirect effects of the pandemic on both the public and healthcare workers’ mental health1
identified a link between depression and wellbeing6 Previous
to this, the NHS providers had noticed an increase in healthcare staff requesting access to mental healthcare services, which were not always available when service users required access to them.3
The wellbeing and maintenance of a healthy NHS workforce are fundamental to delivering safe, effective care.3
However,
staffing shortages caused by occupational stress, as an indirect result of COVID-19, have left professionals suffering psychological distress, depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which shows no sign of diminishing as the pandemic begins to recede.3 As a result of studies and evidence-
Positive psychological outcomes l Interpersonal relationships at work have been seen as an essential source of support, such as support from managers.
l Psychological training in the workplace has proved beneficial in providing education about mental health issues.
l Good organisational compassionate leadership and governance has helped staff focus on providing health and care services.
l Supportive workplace culture and relationships, recognising signs of distress.
l Listening skills and empathic communication with staff by acknowledging their fears and anxieties has built trust.
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM l 25
based research,4
the NHS workforce have
acknowledged both positive and negative outcomes from their experiences during the pandemic.
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