Academic clinician frontline-worker wellbeing and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic experience: Were there gender differences?

S.I. Patel; R. Ghebre; R. Dwivedi; K. Macheledt; S. Watson; B.L. Duffy; E.A. Rogers; S. Pusalavidyasagar; C. Guo; S. Misono; M.D. Evans; K. Lingras; A. Kunin-Batson; C.A. McCarty; C. Sandoval-Garcia; N. Nakib; C. Johnson; S. Barker; S. Hutto; A.L. Church; V. Vezys; A. Girard; S. Spencer; J.M. Berge

Preventive Medicine Reports (Dec 2023)

Academic clinician frontline-worker wellbeing and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic experience: Were there gender differences?

S.I. Patel,
R. Ghebre,
R. Dwivedi,
K. Macheledt,
S. Watson,
B.L. Duffy,
E.A. Rogers,
S. Pusalavidyasagar,
C. Guo,
S. Misono,
M.D. Evans,
K. Lingras,
A. Kunin-Batson,
C.A. McCarty,
C. Sandoval-Garcia,
N. Nakib,
C. Johnson,
S. Barker,
S. Hutto,
A.L. Church,
V. Vezys,
A. Girard,
S. Spencer,
J.M. Berge

Affiliations

S.I. Patel: Department of Neurology, lead of Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science, and member of the DEI Council at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Neurology. 5775 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 200. St. Louis Park, MN, 55416, USA.
R. Ghebre: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Masonic Cancer Center and a member of the Retention and Recruitment Action Group in the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
R. Dwivedi: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Mentoring Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
K. Macheledt: Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
S. Watson: Center for Women in Medicine and Science and Program Coordinator for the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
B.L. Duffy: Department of Medicine and a member of the Retention and Recruitment Action Group in the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
E.A. Rogers: Departments of Medicine and of Pediatrics, and member of the Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group in the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
S. Pusalavidyasagar: Department of Medicine and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Mentoring Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN USA
C. Guo: Department of Radiology and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Strategic Communications and Collaborations Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
S. Misono: Department of Otolaryngology and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Mentoring Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
M.D. Evans: Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
K. Lingras: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a member of the Retention and Recruitment Action Group in the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
A. Kunin-Batson: Department of Pediatrics and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
C.A. McCarty: Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health and Associate Dean for Research at the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota, USA
C. Sandoval-Garcia: Departments of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
N. Nakib: Female Urology and Urodynamics in the Department of Urology, and the Strategic Communications and Collaborations Action Group Lead for the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
C. Johnson: University of Minnesota and an MPH student at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, USA
S. Barker: Department of Radiology and a member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
S. Hutto: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health and a member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
A.L. Church: Department of Radiology and the Mentoring Action Group Lead for the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
V. Vezys: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, a member of the Center for Immunology and a member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
A. Girard: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and member of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science Salary, Resource, and Leadership Equity Action Group at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
S. Spencer: Department of Pharmacology and the Retention and Recruitment Action Group Lead for the Center for Women in Medicine and Science at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
J.M. Berge: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Director of the Center for Women in Medicine and Science, and Director of the Women’s Health Research Program/Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 36
p. 102517

Abstract

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Prior research suggests COVID-19 has amplified stress on Academic Clinician Frontline-Workers (ACFW). The aim of this paper is: (1) to better understand the experiences of ACFW during the COVID-19 pandemic including their mental-emotional wellbeing, academic productivity, clinical experiences, and (2) to examine any gender differences. A cross-sectional survey was administered to University of Minnesota/M Health Fairview systems’ faculty February-June 2021. Of the 291 respondents, 156 were clinicians, with 91 (58 %) identifying as Frontline-Workers (ACFW). Faculty wellbeing was assessed using validated measures in addition to measures of productivity and sociodemographics. For example, ACFW reported a higher Work-Family Conflict (WFC) scores compared to non-ACFW (26.5 vs. 24.1, p = 0.057) but did not report higher Family-Work Conflict (FWC) scores (17.7 vs. 16.3, p = 0.302). Gender sub-analyses, revealed that women ACFW compared to men ACFW reported higher WFC scores (27.7 vs. 24.1, p = 0.021) and FWC (19.3 vs. 14.3, p = 0.004). Academically, ACFW reported submitting fewer grants and anticipated delays in promotion and tenure due to the COVID-19 (p = 0.035). Results suggest COVID-19 has exacerbated ACFW stress and gender inequities. Reports of anticipated delay in promotion for ACFW may pose a challenge for the long-term academic success of ACFW, especially women ACFW. In addition, women may experience higher FWC and WFC as compared to men. Schools of academic medicine should consider re-evaluating promotion/tenure processes and creating resources to support women ACFW as well as ACFW caregivers.

Published in Preventive Medicine Reports

ISSN: 2211-3355 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/preventive-medicine-reports/

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