Social Support Crucial for Mental Health of Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Outbreak

Strategic Insights -

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of healthcare workers has become a critical concern to ensure the efficiency of rescue operations. Researchers in China conducted a study to examine the effect of social support on mental health of healthcare workers and its underlying mechanisms. The study found that resilience could partially mediate the effect of social support on mental health among healthcare workers, and age group moderated the indirect relationship between social support and mental health via resilience. The results add new knowledge to previous literature on the underlying mechanisms between social support and mental health.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study examined the effect of social support on mental health of 1472 healthcare workers from Jiangsu Province, China during the peak period of COVID-19 outbreak.
  • The researchers used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the mediation effect of resilience on the relation between social support and mental health.
  • The study found that resilience could partially mediate the effect of social support on mental health among healthcare workers.
  • Age group moderated the indirect relationship between social support and mental health via resilience, with younger healthcare workers showing a stronger association between resilience and mental health.
  • The study had profound implications for mental health services for healthcare workers during the pandemic.
  • The researchers suggested that social support and resilience-based interventions may be effective in mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health among healthcare workers.

Statistics:

  • 1472 healthcare workers participated in the study from Jiangsu Province, China.
  • The study used the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC), and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) to assess social support and mental health.
  • The researchers found that resilience could partially mediate the effect of social support on mental health among healthcare workers (β = 0.34, p < 0.001).
  • The study found that age group moderated the indirect relationship between social support and mental health via resilience (β = -0.24, p < 0.01).

Sources:

  • Social support and mental health among health care workers during Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak: A moderated mediation model, Plos One, 2020;15(5):e0233831.
  • Mental Health Weekly Digest, June 8, 2020; p 595.