Health care workers’ stress, alcohol consumption and positive health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Description: Health care workers’ stress, alcohol consumption and positive health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, most health care workers in Canada (95%) reported experiencing at least one stress factor in the workplace.
For almost every stress factor below, a higher percentage of nurses than physicians or personal support workers (PSWs) and care aides (CAs) said they experienced it.
Stress factors | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Increased workload | Working overtime | Was refused vacation | Did work they normally didn’t do | Changes in the methods for delivering care | More conflict among colleagues | More conflict between employees and management | |
Nurses | 81% | 61% | 31% | 61% | 25% | 40% | 51% |
PhysiciansNote * | 63% | 44% | 8% | 51% | 66% | 31% | 38% |
PSWs/CAsNote * | 67% | 43% | 22% | 45% | 10% | 31% | 33% |
|
1 in 4 health care workers reported drinking more than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Percentage who reported drinking more | |
---|---|
Health care workers | 25% |
Nurses | 28% |
Physicians | 27% |
PSWs/CAs | 14% |
The higher the number of workplace stressors experienced, the more likely alcohol consumption increased among health care workers.
Number of stress factors | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
0 or 1 | 2 or 3 | 4 or 5 | 6 or 7 | |
Percentage who reported drinking more | 18% | 24% | 29% | 38% |
Most health care workers reported doing activities such as communicating with others and exercising to improve or maintain their health during the pandemic.
percent | |
---|---|
Communicating with friends, family or peers | 91% |
Communicating with health care professionals | 26% |
Meditating or seeking spiritual guidance | 28% |
Exercising | 70% |
Participating in hobbies | 62% |
Getting enough sleep | 62% |
Source: Statistics Canada, “Experiences of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, September to November 2021,” The Daily, June 2022, and Survey on Health Care Workers’ Experiences During the Pandemic, 2021.
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