The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and substance use health (MHSUH) workforce in Canada: a mixed methods study - Human Resources for Health

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A study published in HRH_Journal discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the capacity of the mental health and substance use health (MUSUH) workforce in Canada. The findings highlight the need for better workforce planning/access to vulnerable groups.

Results from the survey data analysis offered insight into changes to workforce capacity during the pandemic from the perspective of service providers by asking about changes to their practice and their availability and ability to provide services, as well as reasons for these changes.

As the pandemic moved into subsequent waves, the MHSUH workforce continued to face varying challenges. Key informants indicated that adequate staffing of in-person MHSUH services was an important concern. Unanticipated absences increased for numerous reasons, such as disruptions in childcare and self-isolation requirements for service providers when they or their family members had been in contact with or had symptoms of COVID-19.

Finally, there was strong agreement that public health measures during the pandemic had magnified existing inequities accessing services for particular populations. Lower quality internet service, which is more typical in remote and rural communities, made it more difficult for people living in these areas to access services, and travel restrictions meant that service providers who typically flew into remote communities were not able to do so.

And I think the impact on staff is just that the pandemic now is beginning to wear on people’s energy levels and their ability to continue to do their work in a really positive way. I think it’s lasted longer than anybody anticipated. And so, we’re starting to see some signs of burnout in some of our staff, most definitely, and having to try and troubleshoot around that and protect against that.

We have to remember that these practitioners are still experiencing, you know, the opioid epidemic and overdosing epidemic. We hear a lot, you know, anecdotally, when we’re speaking to our peer support workers, of really traumatic issues. That they're seeing, you know, a lot of death in their communities.

 

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