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Work-Related Stress among a Cohort of Italian Long-Term Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Study

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Conti

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

  • Sophia Russotto

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

  • Annalisa Opizzi

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

  • Matteo Ratti

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

  • Daniele Nicolini

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

  • Kris Vanhaecht

    (KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Massimiliano Panella

    (Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
    Aging Project Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy)

Abstract

Despite long-term care (LTC) workers having been identified as particularly subject to chronic stress, only a few studies evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress in this population. As far as the authors know, no studies have investigated the relationship between work-related stress and chronic stress in the LTC setting. This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the level of chronic stress in LTC workers, to identify some possible predictors and vulnerability factors, and to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work-related stress. The study was based on the information gathered from two different questionnaires administered before and one year after the beginning of the pandemic, to a cohort of Italian LTC workers. We found that chronic stress was associated with lower resilience to stress scores (57.42 vs. 60.66) and with higher work-related stress scores (30.48 vs. 20.83). Interestingly, the overall level of work-related stress did not differ between the two questionnaires (27.84 vs. 29.08). However, the main components of the questionnaires changed; fatigue and burnout symptoms became more relevant after the pandemic. Results of this study suggests deepening knowledge of the components of stress to develop and implement effective stress mitigation interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Conti & Sophia Russotto & Annalisa Opizzi & Matteo Ratti & Daniele Nicolini & Kris Vanhaecht & Massimiliano Panella, 2022. "Work-Related Stress among a Cohort of Italian Long-Term Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-10, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:5874-:d:813752
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Agata Benfante & Valentina Tesio & Marialaura Di Tella & Annunziata Romeo & Lorys Castelli, 2022. "From the First to the Second Wave of COVID-19: Anxiety, De-Pressive, and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in the Italian Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-6, January.
    2. Carmen Trumello & Sonia Monique Bramanti & Giulia Ballarotto & Carla Candelori & Luca Cerniglia & Silvia Cimino & Monia Crudele & Lucia Lombardi & Silvia Pignataro & Maria Luisa Viceconti & Alessandra, 2020. "Psychological Adjustment of Healthcare Workers in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differences in Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction between Frontli," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Beatrice Brunner & Ivana Igic & Anita C. Keller & Simon Wieser, 2019. "Who gains the most from improving working conditions? Health-related absenteeism and presenteeism due to stress at work," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(8), pages 1165-1180, November.
    4. Carmela Rinaldi & Sara Bortoluzzi & Chiara Airoldi & Fabrizio Leigheb & Daniele Nicolini & Sophia Russotto & Kris Vanhaecht & Massimiliano Panella, 2021. "The Early Detection of Osteoporosis in a Cohort of Healthcare Workers: Is There Room for a Screening Program?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-7, February.
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    1. Huakang Liang & Tianhong Liu & Wenqian Yang & Fan Xia, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Perception on Job Stress of Construction Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Maricla Marrone & Carlo Angeletti & Gerardo Cazzato & Gabriele Sebastiani & Luigi Buongiorno & Pierluigi Caricato & Fortunato Pititto & Eliano Cascardi & Alessandra Stellacci & Benedetta Pia De Luca, 2023. "The Job that Kills the Worker: Analysis of Two Case Reports on Work-Related Stress Deaths in the COVID-19 Era," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-9, January.
    3. Roberto Carlos Dávila Morán & Juan Manuel Sánchez Soto & Henri Emmanuel López Gómez & Flor Carolina Espinoza Camus & Justiniano Felix Palomino Quispe & Lindomira Castro Llaja & Zoila Rosa Díaz Tavera , 2023. "Work Stress as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-22, March.

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