Table 5.
Workplace predictors of mental health outcomes (multivariable univariate analysis)
| Predictor | Anxiety (GAD-7) | Depression (PHQ-9) | PTSD (IES-6) | Burnout DP | Burnout EE | Burnout PA | ||||||
| OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
| Occupation | ||||||||||||
| Nursing | 1.79 (1.55 to 2.07) | 0.001 | 1.92 (1.65 to 2.23) | 0.001 | 1.28 (1.12 to 1.45) | 0.001 | 0.84 (0.74 to 0.96) | 0.013 | 1.22 (1.07 to 1.39) | 0.003 | 0.73 (0.64 to 0.83) | 0.001 |
| Allied health | 1.25 (1.04 to 1.50) | 0.013 | 1.48 (1.22 to 1.79) | 0.001 | 1.20 (1.02 to 1.41) | 0.022 | 0.57 (0.48 to 0.68) | 0.001 | 1.16 (0.98 to 1.38) | 0.081 | 1.13 (0.95 to 1.34) | 0.150 |
| Other roles | 1.83 (1.51 to 2.22) | 0.001 | 1.95 (1.59 to 2.38) | 0.001 | 1.29 (1.08 to 1.53) | 0.004 | 1.13 (0.85 to 1.49) | 0.380 | 0.89 (0.74 to 1.07) | 0.233 | 0.43 (0.36 to 0.51) | 0.001 |
| Frontline area | ||||||||||||
| ICU | 0.87 (0.70 to 1.10) | 0.260 | 0.73 (0.58 to 0.93) | 0.010 | N/A | - | 0.70 (0.57 to 0.87) | 0.001 | 0.83 (0.67 to 1.03) | 0.100 | 1.08 (0.88 to 1.33) | 0.450 |
| Anaesthetics and surgery | 1.18 (0.94 to 1.48) | 0.140 | 0.85 (0.67 to 1.08) | 0.190 | N/A | - | 0.73 (0.59 to 0.91) | 0.005 | 1.14 (0.91 to 1.43) | 0.220 | 0.85 (0.69 to 1.05) | 0.140 |
| Medical specialty areas | 1.13 (0.95 to 1.35) | 0.150 | 0.89 (0.74 to 1.06) | 0.200 | N/A | - | 0.67 (0.57 to 0.80) | 0.001 | 1.19 (1.00 to 1.41) | 0.047 | 1.18 (1.00 to 1.39) | 0.040 |
| Primary care, community and residential aged care | 0.96 (0.77 to 1.20) | 0.760 | 0.82 (0.66 to 1.03) | 0.580 | N/A | - | 0.62 (0.49 to 0.78) | 0.001 | 1.53 (1.24 to 1.89) | 0.001 | 1.35 (1.10 to 1.66) | 0.003 |
| Other* | 1.11 (0.87 to 1.42) | 0.380 | 0.85 (0.66 to 1.03) | 0.098 | N/A | - | 0.64 (0.49 to 0.84) | 0.001 | 1.31 (1.03 to 1.66) | 0.027 | 0.89 (0.71 to 1.11) | 0.300 |
| Currently working with patients with COVID-19 | 1.21 (1.05 to 1.39) | 0.006 | 1.19 (1.03 to 1.37) | 0.015 | 1.27 (1.12 to 1.44) | 0.001 | 1.25 (1.09 to 1.42) | 0.001 | 1.20 (1.05 to 1.37) | 0.007 | 0.80 (0.71 to 0.92) | 0.001 |
| Received PPE training | 0.91 (0.80 to 1.05) | 0.210 | 0.96 (0.83 to 1.10) | 0.580 | 1.04 (0.92 to 1.17) | 0.490 | 0.98 (0.85 to 1.12) | 0.790 | 1.10 (0.97 to 1.25) | 0.122 | 1.27 (1.12 to 1.43) | 0.001 |
| Being worried that colleagues will blame them | 1.68 (1.42 to 1.97) | 0.001 | 1.44 (1.22 to 1.71) | 0.001 | 1.82 (1.58 to 2.11) | 0.001 | 1.39 (1.19 to 1.62) | 0.001 | 1.57 (1.36 to 1.81) | 0.001 | 1.02 (0.89 to 1.18) | 0.700 |
N/A=variable not included for that mental scale in the model because no relationship was observed in the univariate model.
Reference categories for each variable were as follows: occupation=medical staff; frontline area=emergency department; currently working with patients with COVID-19=negative response; received PPE training=negative response; being worried about being blamed=disagreed. Resilience was a continuous variable (scores 0–4).
Lower OR for personal accomplishment indicates poorer outcomes.
*Other for frontline area included people working in paramedicine, radiology, pharmacy, pathology and clinical laboratories, or other areas.
COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; DP, depersonalisation; EE, emotional exhaustion; GAD-7, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7; ICU, intensive care unit; IES-6, Impact of Events Scale-6; PA, personal accomplishment; PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PPE, personal protective equipment; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.