Distress and Wellbeing among General Practitioners in 33 Countries during COVID-19: Results from the Cross-Sectional PRICOV-19 Study to Inform Health System Interventions

Claire Collins, Els Clays, Esther Van Poel, Joanna Cholewa, Katica Tripkovic, Katarzyna Nessler, Ségolène de Rouffignac, Milena Šantrić Milićević, Zoran Bukumiric, Limor Adler, Cécile Ponsar, Liubove Murauskiene, Zlata Ožvačić Adžić, Adam Windak, Radost Asenova and Sara Willems
Additional contact information
Claire Collins: Research Centre, Irish College of General Practitioners, D02 XR68 Dublin, Ireland
Els Clays: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Esther Van Poel: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Joanna Cholewa: Institute of Health and Society, Catholic University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Katica Tripkovic: City Institute of Public Health Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Katarzyna Nessler: Department of Family Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-061 Krakow, Poland
Ségolène de Rouffignac: Institute of Health and Society, Catholic University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Milena Šantrić Milićević: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Zoran Bukumiric: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Limor Adler: Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
Cécile Ponsar: Institute of Health and Society, Catholic University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Liubove Murauskiene: Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Zlata Ožvačić Adžić: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Adam Windak: Department of Family Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-061 Krakow, Poland
Radost Asenova: Department of General Practice, Medical University Plovdiv, 4003 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Sara Willems: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Emerging literature is highlighting the huge toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health workers. However, prior to the crisis, the wellbeing of this group was already of concern. The aim of this paper is to describe the frequency of distress and wellbeing, measured by the expanded 9-item Mayo Clinic Wellbeing Index (eWBI), among general practitioners/family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify levers to mitigate the risk of distress. Data were collected by means of an online self-reported questionnaire among GP practices. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software using Version 7 of the database, which consisted of the cleaned data of 33 countries available as of 3 November 2021. Data from 3711 respondents were included. eWBI scores ranged from −2 to 9, with a median of 3. Using a cutoff of ≥2, 64.5% of respondents were considered at risk of distress. GPs with less experience, in smaller practices, and with more vulnerable patient populations were at a higher risk of distress. Significant differences in wellbeing scores were noted between countries. Collaboration from other practices and perception of having adequate governmental support were significant protective factors for distress. It is necessary to address practice- and system-level organizational factors in order to enhance wellbeing and support primary care physicians.

Keywords: wellbeing; distress; COVID-19; general practice/family medicine; health system; organizational; interventions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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