COVID19 and Physical and Emotional Wellbeing of HCP

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Mental Health

Interventions

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

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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Queen Mary University of London

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ajay Gupta, MD, PhD · Queen Mary University London

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-07-25

Primary Completion

2021-03-31

Completion

2024-06-16

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations