Psychological distress during the acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of doctors practising in emergency medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care medicine in the UK and Ireland

Roberts, Tom; Daniels, Jo; Hulme, William; Hirst, Robert; Horner, Daniel; Lyttle, Mark D.; Samuel, Katie; Graham, Blair; Reynard, Charlie; Barrett, Michael; Foley, James; Cronin, John; Umana, Etimbuk; Vinagre, Joao; Carlton, Edward

Abstract

Objective: To quantify psychological distress experienced by emergency, anaesthetic and intensive care doctors during the acceleration phase of COVID-19 in the UK and Ireland. Methods: Initial cross-sectional electronic survey distributed during acceleration phase of the first pandemic wave of COVID-19 in the UK and Ireland (UK: 18 March 2020-26 March 2020 and Ireland: 25 March 2020-2 April 2020). Surveys were distributed via established specialty research networks, within a three-part longitudinal study. Participants were doctors working in emergency, anaesthetic and intensive medicine during the first pandemic wave of COVID-19 in acute hospitals across the UK and Ireland. Primary outcome measures were the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Additional questions examined personal and professional characteristics, experiences of COVID-19 to date, risk to self and others and self-reported perceptions of health and well-being. Results: 5440 responses were obtained, 54.3% (n=2955) from emergency medicine and 36.9% (n=2005) from anaesthetics. All levels of doctor seniority were represented. For the primary outcome of GHQ-12 score, 44.2% (n=2405) of respondents scored >3, meeting the criteria for psychological distress. 57.3% (n=3045) had never previously provided clinical care during an infectious disease outbreak but over half of respondents felt somewhat prepared (48.6%, n=2653) or very prepared (7.6%, n=416) to provide clinical care to patients with COVID-19. However, 81.1% (n=4414) either agreed (31.1%, n=2709) or strongly agreed (31.1%, n=1705) that their personal health was at risk due to their clinical role. Conclusions: Findings indicate that during the acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost half of frontline doctors working in acute care reported psychological distress as measured by the GHQ-12. Findings from this study should inform strategies to optimise preparedness and explore modifiable factors associated with increased psychological distress in the short and long term.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 3, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Apr 8, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: May 5, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 6, 2021
• Journal: Emergency Medicine Journal
• Print ISSN: 1472-0205
• Electronic ISSN: 1472-0213
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 450-459
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2020-210438
• Keywords: Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine; Emergency Medicine; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7337266