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Costin A, Roman AF, Balica RS. Remote work burnout, professional job stress, and employee emotional exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1193854. [PMID: 37325768 PMCID: PMC10267312 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1193854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Many studies have investigated how organizational support systems, remote work adaptation, and control over scheduling reduced psychological burnout and occupational stress, thus improving employee wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic literature review has analyzed significant published peer-reviewed evidence concerning how remote employees lacking constant organizational support during the COVID-19 outbreak experienced escalated job demands, professional strain, low satisfaction and performance, and increased burnout. Throughout February 2023, a quantitative literature review covering scholarly databases such as the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest was performed, with the following search terms: "COVID-19" + "remote work burnout," "COVID-19" + "professional job stress," and "COVID-19" + "employee emotional exhaustion." By inspecting research published between 2020 and 2022, a total of 311 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. Excluding sources in PRISMA terms, 44 empirical sources were finally selected. Methodological quality assessment tools such as Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS), Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and Systematic Review Data Repository (SRDR) were employed. Data visualization tools (VOSviewer and Dimensions), integrating layout algorithms and bibliometric mapping, were harnessed. The scope of this study does not include how taking breaks and time management in a psychologically safe environment prevented remote work burnout and increased productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent analyses should be developed on how remote work time and stress management-by using burnout assessment tools-will result in coherent workplace behaviors and processes, meeting organizational expectations and reducing emotional stress and workplace pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Costin
- Center of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences Psychology and Social Work, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania
| | - Alina Felicia Roman
- Center of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences Psychology and Social Work, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania
| | - Raluca-Stefania Balica
- Department of Education and Communication Sciences, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
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Sundaram N, Tilouche N, Cullen L, Hosseini P, Nguipdop-Djomo P, Langan SM, Hargreaves JR, Bonell C. Implementation in an emergency: Qualitative longitudinal research on the experience of implementing Covid-19 prevention in English schools. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2023; 3:100257. [PMID: 36998431 PMCID: PMC10037912 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Implementation studies rarely examine how health interventions are delivered in emergencies. Informed by May's general theory of implementation (GTI), we undertook qualitative longitudinal research to investigate how schools in England implemented Covid-19-prevention measures and how this evolved over the 2020–2021 school year in a rapidly changing epidemiological and policy context. We conducted 74 semi-structured interviews over two time-points with headteachers, teachers, parents and students across eight primary and secondary schools. School leaders rapidly made sense of government guidance despite many challenges. They developed and disseminated prevention plans to staff, parents and students. As defined by GTI, ‘cognitive participation’ and ‘collective action’ to enact handwashing, one-way systems within schools and enhanced cleaning were sustained over time. However, measures such as physical distancing and placing students in separated groups were perceived to conflict with schools' mission to promote student education and wellbeing. Commitment to implement these was initially high during the emergency phase but later fluctuated dependant on perceived risk and local disease epidemiology. They were not considered sustainable in the long term. Adherence to some measures, such as wearing face-coverings, initially considered unworkable, improved as they were routinised. Implementing home-based asymptomatic testing was considered feasible. Formal and informal processes of ‘reflexive monitoring’ by staff informed improvements in intervention workability and implementation. Leaders also developed skills and confidence, deciding on locally appropriate actions, some of which deviated from official guidance. However, over time, accumulating staff burnout and absence eroded school capacity to collectively enact implementation. Qualitative longitudinal research allowed us to understand how implementation in an emergency involved the above emergent processes. GTI was useful in understanding school implementation processes in a pandemic context but may need adaptation to take into account the changing and sometimes contradictory objectives, time-varying factors and feedback loops that can characterise implementation of health interventions in emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neisha Sundaram
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Nerissa Tilouche
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cullen
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Paniz Hosseini
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Nguipdop-Djomo
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Sinéad M Langan
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - James R Hargreaves
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Bonell
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
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Santiago ISD, dos Santos EP, da Silva JA, de Sousa Cavalcante Y, Gonçalves Júnior J, de Souza Costa AR, Cândido EL. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Teachers and Its Possible Risk Factors: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1747. [PMID: 36767110 PMCID: PMC9914333 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
(1) Objective: The objective was to analyze the development of psychiatric pathologies/burnout syndrome and their possible risk factors in teachers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: A qualitative systematic review was carried out, according to the PRISMA protocol, in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using a combination of the following descriptors [MeSH]: "mental health", "mental disorders'', "covid-19" and "school teachers''. Articles selected were written in English, Portuguese and Spanish, published between November 2019 and December 2022. (3) Results: The most common psychiatric pathologies were generalized anxiety disorders and depression. Burnout syndrome was also quite prevalent. Of the 776 articles identified, 42 were selected after applying the eligibility criteria. Although there is variability among the analyzed studies, the risk factors most correlated with increased morbidity in teachers were: (i) being female; (ii) age below the fifth decade of life; (iii) pre-existence of chronic or psychiatric illnesses before the pandemic; (iv) difficulty in adapting to the distance education model; (v) family/work conflicts; (vi) negative symptoms caused by the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Therefore, the COVID-19 impact on mental health appears to be more common in female teachers in their fifth decade of life and with pre-existing psychiatric comorbidities. However, prospective studies are needed to better map this situation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jucier Gonçalves Júnior
- Division of Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-010, Brazil
| | - Angélica Rodrigues de Souza Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Regional Sustentável (PRODER), Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), Juazeiro do Norte 63048-080, Brazil
| | - Estelita Lima Cândido
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), Barbalha 60430-160, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Regional Sustentável (PRODER), Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), Juazeiro do Norte 63048-080, Brazil
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Lv J, Qiu Q, Ye B, Yang Q. The Effects of Cognitive Fusion on Depression in Primary School Principals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Psychological Vulnerability and the Moderating Role of Self-Esteem. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:1727-1739. [PMID: 37187780 PMCID: PMC10178906 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s404894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic had triggered a serious crisis that had brought stress and challenges to primary school principals, as well as having a dramatic impact on their mental health. This study explored the relationship between cognitive fusion and depression among primary school principals during COVID-19, as well as the mediating role of psychological vulnerability and the moderation role of self-esteem in this process. Patients and Methods Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), psychological vulnerability scale, and self-esteem scale were used to measure 279 rural primary school principals. The data were analyzed by adopting Pearson's correlations and moderated mediation analysis. Results The results revealed that: (1) There were significant relationships among cognitive fusion, depression, psychological vulnerability and self-esteem. (2) The results showed that psychological vulnerability mediated the link between cognitive fusion and depression. (3) Self-esteem moderated the associations between cognitive fusion and depression, and also moderated the associations between cognitive fusion and psychological vulnerability. The relationship between cognitive fusion and depression was weaker for primary school principals with high levels of self-esteem. In contrast, the relationship between cognitive fusion and psychological vulnerability was stronger for primary school principals with low levels of self-esteem. Conclusion Psychological vulnerability played a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive fusion and depression. Moreover, self-esteem moderated the effect of cognitive fusion on depression, and also the effect of cognitive fusion on psychological vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Lv
- Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, School of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Qiu
- School of Intercultural Studies, Post-Doctoral Research Station of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Qing Qiu, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-185-79113027, Email
| | - Baojuan Ye
- Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, School of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Yang
- Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, School of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
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Leksy K, Wójciak M, Gawron G, Muster R, Dadaczynski K, Okan O. Work-Related Stress of Polish School Principals during the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Risk Factor for Burnout. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:805. [PMID: 36613126 PMCID: PMC9820090 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has influenced educational systems worldwide. School principals coped with numerous significant challenges regarding school management during the epidemiological crisis that could generate a lot of work-related stress. Thus, the presented study examines Polish school principals' perceived stress and its association with exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints as burnout risk indicators. Principals' gender and age as sociodemographic control variables were also considered in this paper. METHODS A cross-sectional online study was conducted in eight provinces of Poland from June to December 2021. The study was part of a global COVID-HL school principal survey under the global COVID-Health Literacy Research Network. Two subscales of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) (perceived helplessness [PH] and perceived self-efficacy [PSE]) were considered independent variables in relation to school principals' mental and physical exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints. Regression models consisting of two equations were used to test the relationship between variables. The first equation consists of the control variables (age, gender), and in the second equation, the independent variables (PH and PSE) were included in addition to the control variables. RESULTS Almost 50% of school principals experienced a lack of control that caused anger and stress. Mental and physical exhaustion during the pandemic was often or always felt by 30% of respondents. Nearly half of Polish school principals experienced psychosomatic complaints in the form of muscle pain and headaches. PH, to a greater extent than PSE, was associated with mental and physical exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints. With age, the level of psychosomatic complaints and mental and physical exhaustion decreases, but it was higher among women. Regression analysis revealed significant associations between exhaustion and mental health outcomes, even after controlling for demographic variables Conclusion: This study showed that almost half of Polish school principals indicated a high frequency of perceived stress during the pandemic. PH was more substantially associated with mental and physical exhaustion in younger female principals than PSE. Younger female school principals reported more exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints. This finding should be the baseline information for policymakers to improve the wellbeing of Polish school principals and prevent the risk of burnout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Leksy
- Institute of Pedagogy, Department of Social Science, University of Silesia, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
| | - Mirosław Wójciak
- Department of Digital Economy Research, University of Economics, 40-287 Katowice, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Gawron
- Institute of Sociology, Department of Social Science, University of Silesia, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Rafał Muster
- Institute of Sociology, Department of Social Science, University of Silesia, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Department of Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 36039 Fulda, Germany
- Center for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University Lueneburg, 21335 Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany
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Duong TV, Nguyen MH, Lai CF, Chen SC, Dadaczynski K, Okan O, Lin CY. COVID-19-related fear, stress and depression in school principals: impacts of symptoms like COVID-19, information confusion, health-related activity limitations, working hours, sense of coherence and health literacy. Ann Med 2022; 54:2064-2077. [PMID: 35876321 PMCID: PMC9318216 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2101688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND School principals have been reported to have a higher prevalence of burnout and psychological problems than their colleagues. During the pandemic, extra workload and pressure from unprecedented situations potentially cause fear, stress and depression. Therefore, we aimed to explore associated factors of stress, fear of COVID-19 (F-CoV-19S) and depressive symptoms among school principals. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Taiwan from 23 June to 16 July 2021. Data of 413 school principals were collected, including socio-demographic factors, COVID-19-related factors, work-related information, health status, sense of coherence (SoC), health literacy (HL), F-CoV-19S, stress and depression. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were utilized to explore associations. RESULTS School principals with symptoms like COVID-19 (S-COVID-19-S), or with health-related activity limitations had a higher score of stress (B = 0.92; p = .039) (B = 1.52; p < .001) and a higher depression likelihood (OR = 3.38; p < .001) (OR = 3.06; p < .001), whereas those with a better SoC had a lower stress score (B = -1.39; p < .001) and a lower depression likelihood (OR = 0.76; p = .020). School principals confusing about COVID-19-related information had a higher score of stress (B = 2.47; p < .001) and fear (B = 3.77; p < .001). The longer working time was associated with a higher fear score (B = 1.69; p = .006). Additionally, school principals with a higher HL score had a lower stress score (B = -1.76; p < .001), a lower fear score (B = -1.85; p < .001) and a lower depression likelihood (OR = 0.53; p = .043). CONCLUSIONS Health-related activity limitations, S-COVID-19-S, COVID-19-related information confusion and longer working hours were positively associated with at least one mental health problem (e.g. stress, fear and depression), whereas better SoC and HL showed the benefits to mitigate fear, stress and depressive symptoms in school principals. Our study provides evidence for appropriate strategies to improve principals' mental health during the pandemic.Key messages:School principals with health-related activity limitations or with symptoms like COVID-19 were more likely to be stressed and depressed.Higher levels of stress and fear were observed in school principals who confused about COVID-19-related information, and who had longer working time than before the pandemic.Better sense of coherence and higher health literacy could potentially mitigate the fear, stress and depressive symptoms in school principals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuyen Van Duong
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,International Ph.D. Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Minh H Nguyen
- International Ph.D. Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Feng Lai
- Department of Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Chih Chen
- Master's Program of Digital Content and Technologies, College of Communication, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Public Health Centre Fulda, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Fulda, Germany.,Center for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Cheng-Yu Lin
- Department of Radio, Television & Film, Shih Hsin University, Taipei, Taiwan
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