학술논문
Maternity healthcare providers' self-perceptions of well-being during COVID-19: A survey in Tshwane Health District, South Africa.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Oosthuizen S; Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; and, Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborns and Child Health Care Strategies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; and, South African Medical Research Council, Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. sarie.silberbauer@gmail.com.; Bergh AM; Silver A; Malatji R; Mfolo V; Botha T
Source
Publisher: OpenJournals Pub Country of Publication: South Africa NLM ID: 101520860 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2071-2936 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20712928 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
Background: Mental health manifestations such as depression and anxiety disorders became more marked during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as frontline healthcare workers struggled to maintain high-quality intrapartum care and essential health services.
Aim: This study aimed to identify maternity healthcare providers' self-perceptions of changes in their feelings of mental well-being.
Setting: Ten midwife obstetric units and the labour wards of four district hospitals in Tshwane Health District, South Africa.
Methods: We conducted an anonymous, cross-sectional survey amongst a convenience sample of 114 maternity healthcare workers to gauge the changes in healthcare workers' experience and perceptions of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four items measured the perceived changes on a scale of 0-10 for the periods before and during COVID-19, respectively, namely feelings of fear or anxiety, stress, depression and anger.
Results: The majority of participants were professional nurses (37%) and advanced midwives (47%). They reported a significant change in well-being from before the pandemic to during the pandemic with regard to all four items (p 0.0001). The biggest 'before-during' difference was in perceptions of fear or anxiety and the smallest difference was in perceptions of anger. A framework was constructed from the open-ended responses to explain healthcare workers' understanding and perceptions of increased negative feelings regarding their mental well-being.
Conclusion: The observed trends in the changes in healthcare workers' self-perceptions of their mental well-being highlight the need for further planning to build resilient frontline healthcare workers and provide them with ongoing mental health support and improved communication pathways.
Aim: This study aimed to identify maternity healthcare providers' self-perceptions of changes in their feelings of mental well-being.
Setting: Ten midwife obstetric units and the labour wards of four district hospitals in Tshwane Health District, South Africa.
Methods: We conducted an anonymous, cross-sectional survey amongst a convenience sample of 114 maternity healthcare workers to gauge the changes in healthcare workers' experience and perceptions of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four items measured the perceived changes on a scale of 0-10 for the periods before and during COVID-19, respectively, namely feelings of fear or anxiety, stress, depression and anger.
Results: The majority of participants were professional nurses (37%) and advanced midwives (47%). They reported a significant change in well-being from before the pandemic to during the pandemic with regard to all four items (p 0.0001). The biggest 'before-during' difference was in perceptions of fear or anxiety and the smallest difference was in perceptions of anger. A framework was constructed from the open-ended responses to explain healthcare workers' understanding and perceptions of increased negative feelings regarding their mental well-being.
Conclusion: The observed trends in the changes in healthcare workers' self-perceptions of their mental well-being highlight the need for further planning to build resilient frontline healthcare workers and provide them with ongoing mental health support and improved communication pathways.