The Impact of Adjustment on Workplace Attitudes and Behaviors Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

We examined the impact of health care workers' (HCWs) adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic on their work-related attitudes and behaviors. HCWs ( n = 1468) participated in an observational longitudinal study in which they completed surveys of anxiety and occupational health between 2020 and 2021. Most HCWs reported anxiety that was consistently below the diagnostic threshold (68%) or fell below the threshold within a year (16%). Others reported consistently high (14%) or increasing (2%) anxiety, especially women, younger HCWs, those with a weakened immune system, and allied health professionals. Consistently high or increasing anxiety was associated with poorer job satisfaction, work engagement, perceived supervisor support, burnout, and turnover intentions. Resources to support HCWs may be focused on those who report consistently high or increasing anxiety to minimize the effects of crises and disasters on the workforce.