When COVID-19 arrived in Canada, much was still unknown about the disease. Yet, one thing was clear – healthcare workers and hospital staff found themselves in many chaotic and terrifying moments. In those early days, a team at University Health Network (UHN) asked a group of psychiatrists and psychologists to create a program, which includes one-on-one counselling, videos and infographics, to help manage the distress workers were facing.
Dr. Mary Pat McAndrews, Division Head of Clinical & Computational Neuroscience at the Krembil Brain Institute, is part of the team that created the program. She's now studying its impact, in the hope of better supporting staff during future crises.
Her team emailed a short survey to UHN clinicians, scientists and administrators to assess symptoms of distress, as well as other factors that might enhance or inhibit their ability to cope. More than 1,000 responded. "We wanted to know: what's the normal emotional response we're seeing right now?" Dr. McAndrews explains. "How are people situated, and how can we support them?"
Because the study took place during the first wave, the results are unique to that moment. She found that nearly half of respondents reported elevated levels of anxiety or depression, but most relied on their previous support systems to cope with the new challenges. In addition, many felt an increased sense of purpose in their work, which helped boost their resilience.
So far, the team has found that tracking down the right information and having time to access resources are barriers that need to be addressed to better handle future crises. They're now considering another survey to see how subsequent COVID-19 waves – especially the third – have affected staff. "One thing is clear from the study," she says. "Team UHN rose to the occasion, and that should be emphasized and celebrated."
Dr. Mary Pat McAndrews is leading a crucial study looking at how healthcare workers at UHN managed distress and resilience during the pandemic.
