A Model for Providing Psychological Support to Healthcare Leaders and Teams in Times of Crisis

• Published in: Academic psychiatry 2024-06, Vol.48 (3), p.222-226
• Main Authors: Walker, Sara J., Ey, Sydney, Hedlund, Susan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Burnout; Community Information Services; Community Relations; Coping; COVID-19; Feedback (Response); First aid; Full Time Equivalency; Grief; Group Dynamics; In Brief Report; Intervention; Job Satisfaction; Labor Force; Leaders; Leadership; Leadership Role; Likert Scales; Listening; Medical Education; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meetings; Mental health; Mental Health Programs; Pandemics; Psychiatry; Psychologists; Racial Discrimination; Resilience (Psychology); Security (Psychology); Stress; Task forces; Teams; Well being; Wellness; Workshops
• ISSN: 1042-9670; 1545-7230
• DOI: 10.1007/s40596-024-01965-z

Objective Pre-pandemic, the healthcare workforce was already at risk for higher burnout than the general population and, in some roles (e.g., physicians, nurses), at higher risk for clinical distress and suicide. Studies of healthcare workforce well-being during and after past pandemics reflect that distress can persist after a pandemic subsides, if adequate support within the workplace is not forthcoming and accessible. The current report presents the rationale for and development of a wellness consult service to provide support to leaders and teams in an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic and now as teams work to recover and rebuild after years of significant pandemic and other stressors. Methods Healthcare workers who participated in supportive Listening Sessions or Interactive Workshops facilitated by the wellness consult service were invited to complete an anonymous post-session survey. Results Between March 2020 and November 2022, 185 leaders and teams participated in 342 supportive Listening Sessions and Interactive Workshops. Of the respondents to the post-session survey ( N = 701), 89% rated the intervention as “good to excellent” and 84% were likely or very likely to recommend this service. Leaders rated the experience more highly than non-leaders ( F (1,307) = 13.99, p < 0.001) and were more likely to report feeling emotionally supported ( F (1,304) = 19.836, p < 0.001). Conclusions Supporting leader and team well-being may be critical to post-pandemic recovery of the healthcare workforce. The current report presents a feasible, theory-driven model for doing so, which was rated as highly satisfactory by participants.