A Self-Monitoring Wellbeing Screening Methodology for Keyworkers

Background The detrimental impact of Covid-19 has led to an urgent need to support the wellbeing of UK National Health Service and care workers. Objective To develop a diary to support the wellbeing of staff in public healthcare in real-time, allowing the exploration of population wellbeing and pro-active responses to issues identified. Methods The diary was co-produced by NHS and care stakeholders and university researchers. It was based on an integrative model of mental health and wellbeing. Diary users were encouraged to reflect on their experience confidentially, empowering them to monitor their wellbeing. The data collected was analysed using Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests to determine any significant wellbeing trends and issues. Findings A statistically significant decline in wellbeing (P<2.2E-16), and a significant increase in symptoms (P=1.2E-14) was observed. For example, indicators of post-traumatic stress, including, flashbacks, dissociation, and bodily symptoms (Kruskal-Wallis P=0.00081, 0.0083, and 0.027, respectively) became significantly worse and users reported issues with sleeping (51%), levels of alertness (46%), and burnout (41%). Conclusions and clinical implications The wellbeing diary demonstrated the value of population-based wellbeing data driven by an integrative model of wellbeing. It successfully demonstrated the capability to distinguish trends and wellbeing problems. Thus, informing how staff wellbeing services can determine and respond to need with timely interventions. The results particularly emphasised the pressing need for interventions that help staff with burnout, self-compassion, and flashbacks.