Date of Award

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health

Department

Health Science and Human Ecology

First Reader/Committee Chair

Becerra, Monideepa

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a highly contagious novel virus called SARS-CoV-2, has led to significant global morbidity and mortality. The healthcare workforce (HCW) is disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is more likely to report depression, burnout, moral injury, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress. However, research among the public health workforce (PHW) remains limited. Given the burden of COVID-19 itself, coupled with the work-related pressure of rapid pandemic management strategies, risk of exposure, potential fatigue, etc., understanding the mental health needs of PHW and related professionals is critical. As such, the purpose of this study is to assess the mental health outcomes of public health and the related workforce due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. The study used a mix of convenience sampling followed by snowball sampling. All data were collected virtually and kept anonymous. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28, and all qualitative results were thematically analyzed for emergent themes. A total of 17 participants were studied. Of the study participants, nearly sixty-five percent (64.7%) reported that their personal lives were impacted due to providing COVID-19 related services. Approximately eighty-eight percent (88.2%) of the study participants felt tired or fatigued after their sleep at least 1-2 times a week to nearly every day. Additionally, about eighty-eight percent (88.2%) of the participants felt tired, fatigued, or not up to par during their wake time at least 1-2 times a week to nearly every day. The overarching theme that emerged from this study is a paradigm shift in capacity building for public health emergency preparedness. Results highlight the importance of addressing the caregiver burden experienced by public health and related workforces. Future research on changes to the public health landscape is indicated.

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