COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Healthcare Workers Differentially in Rural and Urban Settings

Strategic Insights -

Healthcare professionals, including nurses and physicians, experience significant burnout, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, with urban settings exacerbating their well-being issues. Research findings highlight the need for policy-level contributions to prevent work-related impairments in the healthcare workforce.

Key Takeaways:

  • Nurses and physicians in urban settings experience more impeding work system factors and higher rates of burnout, depression, and PTSD symptoms compared to their rural counterparts.
  • The study employed a comprehensive set of work system factors and well-being measures, including the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) framework and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) survey.
  • The research found that urban healthcare professionals face greater overall well-being issues, with a higher likelihood of experiencing burnout, depression, and PTSD symptoms.
  • The study's findings suggest that policy-level contributions are necessary to prevent work-related impairments from reaching the healthcare workforce.
  • The research was funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) and the Carolina Center for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-Being.
  • The study's results were published in the research article "A Quantitative Analysis of Work System Factors and Well-being Among Nurses and Physicians In Rural and Urban Settings During Covid-19 Pandemic" in the journal Workplace Health & Safety.

Statistics:

  • 88% of healthcare professionals in urban settings reported experiencing burnout, compared to 45% in rural settings.
  • 65% of nurses and physicians in urban settings reported experiencing depression, compared to 31% in rural settings.
  • 55% of healthcare professionals in urban settings reported experiencing PTSD symptoms, compared to 23% in rural settings.
  • The study found a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in well-being measures between rural and urban settings.
  • The study employed a sample of 101 healthcare professionals from four hospitals, including one urban academic medical center and three rural hospitals.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings on COVID-19 Reported by Investigators at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (A Quantitative Analysis of Work System Factors and Well-being Among Nurses and Physicians In Rural and Urban Settings During Covid-19 Pandemic). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. June 1, 2025; p 88.
  • A Quantitative Analysis of Work System Factors and Well-being Among Nurses and Physicians In Rural and Urban Settings During Covid-19 Pandemic. Workplace Health & Safety, 2025.
  • Workplace Health & Safety can be contacted at: Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.