Supported Accommodations for People with Serious Mental Disorders: Staff's Assessment of Work Challenges and Their Impact during COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION

Few studies analysed the impact of COVID-19 on supported accommodations (SAs) for people with serious mental disorders. This study aimed to analyse staff's assessments of work challenges in SAs during COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic on staff, their perception of the impact on residents, and associated factors.

METHODS

To assess work challenges and the impact of the pandemic on staff and their perception of the impact on residents, a questionnaire was administered to the staff of SAs. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted, involving work challenges and staff's sociodemographic characteristics, and impact on staff.

RESULTS

In total, 117 staff from 32 SAs responded. A challenging environment was felt by most participants (68.4%). There were significant differences in work challenges experienced by staff, namely, according to profession and years working in mental health. A negative impact of COVID-19 was reported by 26.5% of staff, which was associated with their feeling that residents were no longer getting an acceptable service (OR = 7.04, 95% CI [1.43, 34.65], = 0.016) and with staff feeling at risk of infection at work (OR = 7.99, 95% CI [1.39, 45.86], = 0.020). Relapse and deterioration of residents' mental health were perceived by 43.6% of staff.

CONCLUSIONS

Several work challenges occurred in SAs during COVID-19, which had a negative impact on staff and reportedly on residents. Implications range from the organisational to the clinical levels and may apply internationally and in similarly challenging situations.