A longitudinal study of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline perioperative healthcare staff in an Australian tertiary public hospital

Abstract

Objective: This longitudinal study examined changes in psychological outcomes of perioperative frontline healthcare workers at one of Australia’s most COVID-19 affected hospitals, following the surge and decline of a pandemic wave. Method: A single-centred longitudinal online survey was conducted between 26 May and 17 November 2020. Recruitment was via poster advertisement and email invitation. The survey was sent out every 4 weeks, resulting in seven time-points. Results: In total, 385 survey results were analysed from 193 staff (about 64% response rate), 72 (37%) of whom completed the survey more than once. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe anxiety and depressive symptoms peaked at 27% ..