COVID-19-Related Stress, Moral Injury and Minority Stress in Healthcare Workers and Public Safety Personnel in Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented circumstances for healthcare providers, leading to an increased need for mental health prevention, early intervention, and clinical supports that take into consideration their needs . Currently, we know the pandemic increased rates of mental health challenges amongst healthcare providers, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and moral injury, which occurs when an individual witnesses or perpetrates an act that violates their moral or ethical code. While there is information emerging regarding the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare providers, further investigation is required and there is limited knowledge of the risk and resiliency factors that make healthcare providers more susceptible to these mental health challenges during the pandemic.

The purpose of the COVID-19 Related Stress, Moral Injury and Minority Stress in Healthcare Workers and Public Safety Personnel in Canada research project is to understand the unique experiences and mental health and wellbeing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian healthcare providers, as well as identify risk and resiliency factors contributing to the development of psychological injury (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.), moral injury, decreasing daily function, and considering leaving the workplace.

The results of this study will provide foundational information for the creation of appropriate and effective tools for healthcare providers and their supporters (i.e., organizations, healthcare leaders, etc.). These tools will equip them to recognize known mental health outcomes of working as a healthcare provider during the pandemic and how/when to find support.