Experiences and emotional strain of NHS frontline workers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The mental health of the population has been negatively affected due to the pandemic. Frontline healthcare workers with increased exposure to COVID diagnosis, treatment and care were especially likely to report psychological burden, fear, anxiety and depression. Aim: To elicit how working as a health professional during the pandemic is impacting on the psychological wellbeing of frontline staff. Method: United Kingdom population of healthcare workers were approached by advertising the survey via social media, NHS trusts and other organisations. Open-ended survey answers were qualitatively explored using content analysis. Results: Survey collected data from 395 NHS staff was developed into three themes; (1) Despair and uncertainty: feeling overwhelmed trying to protect everyone, (2) Behavioural and psychological impact: affecting wellbeing and functioning and (3) Coping and employer support: getting the right help. Conclusion: NHS staff felt enormous burden to adequately complete their professional, personal and civil responsibility to keep everyone safe leading to negative psychological and behavioural consequences and desire for NHS employers to offer better support. As the pandemic progresses, the results of this study may inform NHS employers on how optimum support can be offered to help them cope with negative psychological consequences of the pandemic.