COVID-19 Pandemic Short Interval National Survey Gauging Psychological Distress

NCT04379063 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NSHA REB#1025690
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 342
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic is unprecedented in its scale of infection and the response required to decrease the mortality rates. Disturbingly, the European and United States experience demonstrates that health care systems in industrialized countries are at risk of becoming overwhelmed. Physicians are already at risk of burnout under normal working conditions, and in particular, when responding to crisis situations. During the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, healthcare workers experienced high rates of psychological distress that lasted years. However, there may be protective factors that may decrease the rate or severity of psychological distress and burnout. This study seeks to investigate the rates of physician burnout assessed at multiple time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this study seeks to determine the factors that may increase or decrease burnout and psychological distress in such a setting. This study will be a national longitudinal survey of physicians in Canada. It will include all physicians that currently hold a license to practice in Canada (whether in training or a full license). Consenting participants will complete an initial survey gathering information about their type of practice, health conditions, preparations the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout, and psychological distress. Every month, participants will be asked to complete a follow-up survey, describing their stressors, coping strategies, burnout, and psychological distress. The investigators will analyze and report the initial results to help provincial and national organizations support our physicians and mitigate burnout during this pandemic. The results of the follow up surveys will be analyzed and reported following the pandemic. These findings will help keep our physician workforce healthy under normal working conditions and during future crises.

Conditions

Burnout, Professional; Psychological Distress

Keywords

COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Outbreak

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Burnout

  Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) short form. The MBI-SF has three subscales (exhaustion, cynicism, efficacy). Each subscale is scored from 0-6 indicating the frequency of work-related feelings. A higher score in both exhaustion and cynicism indicate burnout is more likely; whereas, higher scores in efficacy indicate burnout is less likely.

  Start of survey until there is a sustained period of no new cases in their province (1 month without a new case)

• Psychological Distress

  Measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS scores both symptoms of depression and anxiety using 14-item measure (7 item with possible scores 0-21 each). Higher scores suggest that depression and/or anxiety are more likely.

  Start of survey until there is a sustained period of no new cases in their province (1 month without a new case)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Post-traumatic stress symptoms

  One year following the end of the survey (no new cases in their province, 1 month without a new case)

• Post-traumatic growth

  One year following the end of the survey (no new cases in their province, 1 month without a new case)

Study Arms (1)

Canadian physicians during COVID-19 pandemic

Any physician who is practicing in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they hold a full, provisional, or post-graduate in-training license.

Other: COVID-19 pandemic

Interventions

COVID-19 pandemic OTHER

Currently practicing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Canadian physicians during COVID-19 pandemic

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The membership of Canadian Medical Association (CMA) was 71,655 as of June 10, 2019. This includes medical students and retired physicians. The total number of residents (8,681) and practicing physicians (44,557) is 53,238 who could meet inclusion criteria. Response rates by medical trainees to web-based surveys without incentives are approximately 60%, based on previous survey studies. However, given the current situation and the potential for overwhelmed healthcare systems and personnel, we expect a much lower response rate of 20-30%.

You may qualify if:

• Any physician who is currently practicing in Canada, whether they hold a full, provisional, or post-graduate in-training license.

You may not qualify if:

• Non-physician healthcare providers, medical students, physicians without an active license to practice will be excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Jon Bailey: lead
• Nova Scotia Health Authority: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3S 0H6, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bailey JG, Wong M, Bailey K, Banfield JC, Barry G, Munro A, Kirkland S, Leiter M. Pandemic-related factors predicting physician burnout beyond established organizational factors: cross-sectional results from the COPING survey. Psychol Health Med. 2023 Jul-Dec;28(8):2353-2367. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2021.1990366. Epub 2021 Oct 14.

  PMID: 34649468 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Burnout, Professional; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections

Interventions

Pandemic Preparedness

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Occupational Stress; Occupational Diseases; Burnout, Psychological; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Disaster Planning; Disasters; Environment; Environment and Public Health; Communicable Disease Control; Public Health Practice; Public Health

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Anesthesiolgist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2020
• First Posted: May 7, 2020
• Study Start: May 13, 2020
• Primary Completion: September 28, 2020
• Study Completion: July 18, 2022
• Last Updated: December 20, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)