Relationship between COVID-19-specific occupational stressors and mental distress in frontline and non-frontline staff
Megumi Hazumi,
Kentaro Matsui,
Ayumi Tsuru,
Rei Otsuki,
Kentaro Nagao,
Naoko Ayabe,
Tomohiro Utsumi,
Michio Fukumizu,
Aoi Kawamura,
Muneto Izuhara,
Takuya Yoshiike,
Kenichi Kuriyama
Affiliations
Megumi Hazumi
Department of Public Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Kentaro Matsui
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Corresponding author.
Ayumi Tsuru
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Rei Otsuki
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Kentaro Nagao
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Naoko Ayabe
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Regional Studies and Humanities, Faculty of Education and Human Studies, Akita University, Akita, Japan
Tomohiro Utsumi
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Michio Fukumizu
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Aoi Kawamura
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Muneto Izuhara
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Takuya Yoshiike
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
Kenichi Kuriyama
Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
This study investigated the difference in the severity of mental distress and factors contributing to mental distress in frontline and non-frontline healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. A cross-sectional web-based survey of medical staff collected by snow-ball sampling was performed in Japan in October 2020 using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) as an outcome measure for mental distress. Originally developed items asking about the degree of change in psychological and physical burdens, COVID-19-related fear, and experience of discrimination were obtained. The median score of the K6 was 7 in the frontline staff group (n = 86) and 6 in the non-frontline staff group (n = 504), without a statistically significant difference. Multiple regression analyses showed that among the participants, an increase in psychological burden and COVID-19-related fear was significantly associated with mental distress in both groups. Experience of discrimination was significantly associated with mental distress only in the frontline staff group. However, an increase in physical burden was significantly associated with mental distress only in the non-frontline staff group. The results indicate that the factors contributing to mental distress between frontline and non-frontline staff can be different, although the severity of mental distress is comparable between them.
