Health Workforce’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Public emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic may negatively influence the health, safety, and well-being of individuals and communities. There were economic losses, work and social closure, inadequate medical service, and other factors affecting the health and emotional condition of people (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020). Moreover, new addictive behavior may emerge, and addiction withdrawal episodes may increase during the lock-down periods (Kar et al., 2020, pp. 51). This research examines employees’ mental health and the support they receive throughout the evolving phases of the pandemic.

Emotional outcomes, such as depression, increased risks of psychiatric illnesses are part of the pandemic response. Mental health influences employees’ productivity, their ability to work in groups and communicate with colleagues. The study of U.S. adults has shown the prevalence of depression symptoms during the pandemic due to loss of income and savings (Ettman et al., 2020). Employers were forced to organize their work online, placing employers in non-ordinary working condition. In addition, business structures like restaurants and entertainments lost significant amount of profit, thus experiencing economic difficulties and workforce reduction. Such crisis in the workplace and concerns about health and financial condition made employees anxious and feel lost (Hamouche, 2020). Therefore, employers should mitigate the emotional outcomes of the pandemic to preserve the work and function of their organization. Asking specific questions about how to provide support and effective communication are helpful ways of mitigating employees’ mental health issues (Malinen et al., 2020). Moreover, stress-relief sessions may be effective in stabilizing the mental health of workers and their employers.

As for the examination, Colorado can be used as a good case. The state has detailed information about mental health problems and the ways of dealing with them during the pandemic on its official website and provides a call-center. Business entities of Colorado may obtain assistance from the government in ensuring mental health support for their employees. Such cooperation demonstrates how in cases of emergency governments and business structures can collaborate, benefiting both employers and employees.

Overall, supporting employees during the pandemic is crucial, as it helps to maintain their mental health. Eliminating the emotional outcomes of the pandemic contributes to the well-being of workers, thus, preserving productive work and communication among employees. Employers should support employees during the pandemic by all means, as the pandemic increased episodes of depression, addiction withdrawals, and other medical conditions.

References

Ettman, C. K., Abdalla, S. M., Cohen, G. H., Sampson, L., Vivier, P. M., & Galea, S. (2020). Prevalence of depression symptoms in US adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 3(9), e2019686-e2019686.

Hamouche, S. (2020). COVID-19 and employees’ mental health: Stressors, moderators and agenda for organizational actions. Emerald Open Research, 2.

Kar, S. K., Arafat, S. Y., Sharma, P., Dixit, A., Marthoenis, M., & Kabir, R. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and addiction: Current problems and future concerns. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102064.

Malinen, S. K., Wong, J. H. K., & Näswall, K. (2020). Effective workplace strategies to support employee wellbeing during a pandemic. New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, 45(2), 17-32.

Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and the Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(6), 510-512.