Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany.
Corporate Development, Medical University of Lausitz-Carl Thiem, 03048 Cottbus, Germany.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Oct 26;21(11):1421. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21111421.
Healthcare professionals are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues during epidemics, as evidenced by the COVID-19 crisis. German public health authorities, crucial for disease prevention, faced significant strain from chronic understaffing and resource limitations exacerbated by the pandemic. The study was designed as a cross-sectional, observational online survey. This study conducted an online needs assessment survey among heads of municipal public health authorities in Thuringia, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Berlin between June and November 2023. Of the 191 contacted authorities, 74 responses (38.7%) were analyzed, focusing on professional demands, recognition, stress resilience, general life satisfaction, operational organization, and communication during the pandemic. Validated scales such as ERI, RS-13, L-1, and the COVID-19 add-on module of the COPSOQ were utilized. Statistical tests included descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, Chi-Square tests, linear regression, T-tests, and ANOVA with a significance level set at < 0.05. Respondents were mainly from North Rhine-Westphalia (43.3%) and Bavaria (24.3%), predominantly female (54.1%), and had a mean age of 52.7 years. The majority were medical specialists (71.9%). The RS-13 mean score was 72.66 ( = 12.42), with 58.9% demonstrating high stress resilience. Public health degree holders showed the highest resilience. The ER-ratio indicated high effort versus reward for 96.7% of heads. Larger districts showed lower ER-ratios, suggesting resilient organizational structures. The study highlights high psychosocial workload and resilience among German public health authority heads during COVID-19, suggesting the need for optimized crisis management and scalable staffing for future pandemics and crises.
卫生保健专业人员在疫情期间特别容易出现心理健康问题，这一点在 COVID-19 危机中得到了证明。德国公共卫生当局在疾病预防方面至关重要，但由于长期人手不足和资源限制，再加上大流行的影响，他们面临着巨大的压力。该研究采用了横断面观察性在线调查设计。本研究于 2023 年 6 月至 11 月期间在图林根州、萨克森州、北莱茵-威斯特法伦州、巴伐利亚州和柏林的市级公共卫生当局负责人中开展了在线需求评估调查。在联系的 191 个当局中，对 74 个（38.7%）做出了回应，重点关注大流行期间的专业需求、认可、抗压能力、总体生活满意度、运营组织和沟通。使用了经过验证的量表，如 ERI、RS-13、L-1 和 COPSOQ 的 COVID-19 附加模块。统计检验包括描述性统计、相关系数、卡方检验、线性回归、T 检验和 ANOVA，显著性水平设为 < 0.05。受访者主要来自北莱茵-威斯特法伦州（43.3%）和巴伐利亚州（24.3%），主要为女性（54.1%），平均年龄为 52.7 岁。大多数是医学专家（71.9%）。RS-13 的平均得分为 72.66（ = 12.42），其中 58.9%的人具有较高的抗压能力。拥有公共卫生学位的人表现出最高的抵抗力。ER 比值表明，96.7%的负责人的付出与回报不成比例。较大的地区显示出较低的 ER 比值，表明组织结构具有弹性。该研究强调了 COVID-19 期间德国公共卫生当局负责人的高心理社会工作量和抗压能力，这表明需要优化危机管理和为未来的大流行和危机提供可扩展的人员配备。
