Employee Mental Health During COVID-19 Adaptation: Observations of Occupational Safety and Health/Human Resource Professionals in Ireland

Objectives: This study aims to understand mental health issues among Irish employees arising from COVID-19 adaptation from the perspective of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and/or Human Resource (HR) professionals. Methods: Fifteen focus groups including 60 OSH/HR professionals from various se...

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Published in:International journal of public health Vol. 67; p. 1604720
Main Authors: Chen, Yanbing, Ingram, Carolyn, Downey, Vicky, Roe, Mark, Drummond, Anne, Sripaiboonkij, Penpatra, Buckley, Claire, Alvarez, Elizabeth, Perrotta, Carla, Buggy, Conor
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A 09.08.2022
Subjects:
COVID-19
employee wellbeing
fatigue
mental health
occupational health
Public Health Archive
work adaptation
ISSN:1661-8564, 1661-8556, 1661-8564
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Objectives: This study aims to understand mental health issues among Irish employees arising from COVID-19 adaptation from the perspective of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and/or Human Resource (HR) professionals. Methods: Fifteen focus groups including 60 OSH/HR professionals from various sectors were conducted covering four predetermined themes. The data were transcribed verbatim, with transcripts entered into Nvivo for thematic analysis incorporating intercoder reliability testing. Results: The mental health impacts among employees are identified from three stages: pre-adaptation, during adaptation, and post-adaptation. Most issues were reported during the second stage when working conditions dramatically changed to follow emerging COVID-19 policies. The identified mental health support from participating organizations included providing timely and reliable information, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), informal communication channels, hybrid work schedules and reinforcement of control measures. Conclusion: This study explores the challenges facing employees during the different stages of COVID-19 adaptation and the associated mental health impacts. Gender’s influence on mental health consultations should be considered when planning for public health emergencies, and further research conducted in male dominated industries.
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Edited by: Olaf Von Dem Knesebeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
This Original Article is part of the IJPH Special Issue “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health.”
Reviewed by: Diana Schow, Idaho State University, United States
ISSN:1661-8564
1661-8556
1661-8564
DOI:10.3389/ijph.2022.1604720