Psychosocial Risks among Quebec Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Social Media Analysis

Maryline Vivion; Nathalie Jauvin; Nektaria Nicolakakis; Mariève Pelletier; Marie-Claude Letellier; Caroline Biron

doi:10.3390/ijerph20126116

Psychosocial Risks among Quebec Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Social Media Analysis

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jun 13;20(12):6116. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20126116.

Authors

Maryline Vivion^{1

2}, Nathalie Jauvin³, Nektaria Nicolakakis⁴, Mariève Pelletier⁵, Marie-Claude Letellier⁶, Caroline Biron⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Scientific Valorization and Quality, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ), Quebec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada.
² CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
³ Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Toxicology, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ), Quebec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada.
⁴ Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Toxicology, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ), Montreal, QC H2P 1E2, Canada.
⁵ Guidance and Counseling School, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
⁶ Department of Public Health of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Gaspe, QC G4X 1A9, Canada.
⁷ Department of Management, Faculty of Business & Administration, VITAM-Research Center for Sustainable Health, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) were at high risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and to work-related psychosocial risks, such as high psychological demands, low social support at work and low recognition. Because these factors are known to be detrimental to health, their detection and mitigation was essential to protect the healthcare workforce during the pandemic, when this study was initiated. Therefore, using Facebook monitoring, this study aims to identify the psychosocial risk factors to which HCWs in Quebec, Canada reported being exposed at work during the first and second pandemic waves. In this study, HCWs mainly refer to nurses, respiratory therapists, beneficiary attendants and technicians (doctors, managers and heads of healthcare establishments were deemed to be less likely to have expressed work-related concerns on the social media platforms explored). A qualitative exploratory research based on passive analysis of Facebook pages from three different unions was conducted. For each Facebook page, automatic data extraction was followed by and completed through manual extraction. Posts and comments were submitted to undergo thematic content analysis allowing main coded themes to emerge based on known theoretical frameworks of the psychosocial work environment. In total, 3796 Facebook posts and comments were analyzed. HCWs reported a variety of psychosocial work exposures, the most recurrent of which were high workload (including high emotional demands), lack of recognition and perceived injustice, followed by low workplace social support and work-life conflicts. Social media monitoring was a useful approach for documenting the psychosocial work environment during the COVID-19 crisis and could be a useful means of identifying potential targets for preventive interventions in future sanitary crises or in a context of major reforms or restructuring.

Keywords: COVID-19; Quebec; healthcare worker; psychosocial work environment; qualitative research; social media; work-related psychosocial risk.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / psychology
Health Personnel / psychology
Humans
Pandemics
Quebec / epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2
Social Media*

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Quebec, Direction de la Recherche et de la Coordination interne (Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services, Department of Research and Internal Coordination).