Mental health impacts of COVID-19 widespread within rural health care workforce – despite fewer COVID cases

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A national survey of more than 7800 health care workers during the second wave of the COVID pandemic has found that, compared to their metropolitan based colleagues, rural allied and healthcare workers experienced a high prevalence of mental health symptoms, despite treating very few COVID-19 patients. The survey was led by Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood.

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In their own words: Healthcare workers’ tales of toil amid COVID-19

Original article reproduced from Monash Lens, featuring Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood

One of the significant anecdotal narratives out of Australia’s COVID-19 nightmare has been the enormous psychological and physical toll on frontline healthcare workers.

The high rates of burnout, depression, and even thoughts of suicide and self-harm. The continual rollercoaster of emotions, self-care struggles, and the doomed juggle between work and home.

Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19
Pandemic was published 22 Feb 2022. See more

Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood has co-authored a book, Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic, together with three other Australian researchers, Associate Professor Marie Bismark (University of Melbourne), Professor Karen Willis (Victoria University) and Dr Sophie Lewis (University of Sydney).

The publisher, Routledge, describes the book:

Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic shares the stories of frontline health workers—told in their own words—during the second wave of COVID-19 in Australia. The book records the complex emotions healthcare workers experienced as the pandemic unfolded, and the challenges they faced in caring for themselves, their families, and their patients. The book shares their insights on what we can learn from the pandemic to strengthen our health system and prepare for future crises.

Mental health survey of frontline health care workers highlights need for better support

A national survey of COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers found more than half reported mental health symptoms during last year’s pandemic second wave – yet less than one in 10 accessed formal support programs.

The study, published in the journal, General Hospital Psychiatry, was led by Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood, from Monash University’s Central Clinical School and The Alfred hospital, and Professor Karen Willis, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Victoria University.

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Mental health of front line health care workers raises red flags for current crisis in Australian hospital system

The largest, multi-professional study in the world investigating moral distress and mental health outcomes in frontline health care workers in primary and secondary care during last year’s second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic raises some serious concerns for the short and long term mental health impact for the current crisis experienced by health care workers in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

See more about the study led by Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood.

World's largest study of frontline healthcare workers during 2020’s second wave report significant increase in workload

The largest study of the impact of COVID on workplace disruption to front line health care workers has revealed that almost half reported that they had altered paid or unpaid hours, with over one in six being redeployed and one in four reporting changes in work roles. Only 1 percent reported confidence in these new positions. That said, most felt supported by their workplace and this assisted in them having half the risk for severe anxiety, depression, burnout and PTSD than those who did not feel supported by their workplace, a finding the authors argue has relevance to the current crisis.

Read the story here.

Welcome to Professor Natasha Smallwood

A/Prof Natasha Smallwood

Central Clinical School welcomes Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood! A/Prof Smallwood is appointed to a joint Monash University/ Alfred Respiratory Medicine position. She holds a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leader grant. She is looking forward to developing multi-disciplinary collaborations widely across the school, and across the precinct.