A longitudinal study examining PTSD and other mental health problems in NHS workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

A cross-sectional longitudinal study was conducted to examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of NHS medical staff, and its relationship with levels of social support received, and levels of Covid-19 related worries. Participants were contacted via Health Boards and Royal Colleges in England and Wales. 476 participants completed the study in Wave 1 and 129 of those completed the same survey in Wave 2 a year later. Participants completed the Crisis Support Scale, a Covid-19 Anxieties Questionnaire, the DASS-21, and the PTSD checklist. First, high levels of support during the pandemic, were associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. Second, high levels on the Covid-19 Anxieties Questionnaire were associated with high levels of Common Mental health Difficulties (CMDs) and PTSD scores during both waves. Third, social support led to lower Covid-19 health worries scores in Wave 1. Finally, scores on the Covid-19 anxieties questionnaire significantly reduced 12 months into the pandemic, while effects on mental health did not. Social support during the crisis can reduce anxieties about the crisis and self-reported levels of CMDs and PTSD. Even when anxieties relating to the pandemic eased, the prevalence of CMDs and PTSD were long-lasting.