Health uncertainty among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: The degree to which healthcare workers experience uncertainty about their health has yet to be examined as a contributor to the psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic In this report, we aimed to (1) characterize health uncertainty levels among healthcare workers in a large, U S hospital system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) examine factors associated with higher levels of health uncertainty Methods: From March to June 2020, healthcare workers in a large, urban U S healthcare system were invited via hospital emails and departmental announcements to complete an online questionnaire (REDCap) Self-report measures assessed sociodemographic characteristics and job roles, health uncertainty, and emotional wellbeing variables (anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-compassion, and coping confidence) Health uncertainty levels were compared using t-tests and ANOVAs Results: Healthcare workers (N=440) were on average 44 5 years of age, 88 9% female, and 84 5% non-Hispanic white Over half (52%) of healthcare workers reported at least some health uncertainty;pharmacists had the highest uncertainty, and technicians had significantly higher uncertainty than physicians (p< 05) and mental health and spiritual counselors (p< 05) Additionally, higher health uncertainty was associated with higher anxiety (p<0 001), depression (p<0 001), and loneliness (p<0 001), higher self compassion (p=0 02), and lower coping confidence (p<0 001) Conclusion: Collectively, these findings have implications for targeted coping skills interventions for healthcare workers, including particular pharmacists and technicians, who are essential in delivering healthcare services to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic