EMS Provider Mental Health During COVID-19: A Pandemic Within a Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to worsening mental health across many facets of society. Due to their proximity to the pandemic, in-hospital and prehospital providers have been especially affected. Methods: A survey designed to examine EMS provider mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic was shared through social media and through word-of-mouth. A total of 122 respondents – with an average of 16 years of experience in EMS – took the survey. Results: Survey responses indicated alarming deteriorations in EMS provider mental health took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents reported: 1) significant policy and guideline alterations have negatively impacted job performance and satisfaction; 2) decreases in agency morale; 3) increased stress; 4) worse mental health when compared with non-pandemic times; and 5) increases in hostility/aggression, loneliness and sadness, and weight gain coinciding with decreases in exercise. Important results worth highlighting include: 84.6% of respondents indicated morale within their agency has decreased; 88% of respondents reported feeling slightly or significantly more stressed when compared with non-pandemic times; 70.9% of respondents reported their mental health is either slightly or significantly worse when compared with non-pandemic times; and 33.3% of respondents reported starting to think about changing careers due to the pandemic. Conclusions: Our data emphasize the toll the pandemic has taken on EMS providers nationwide. In the immediate term, EMS agencies and leaders should consider ways to improve morale and provider mental health as the pandemic reaches its final stages and during the post-pandemic period. Second, planning and care should take place to prevent similar deteriorations in mental health from taking place during future large-scale events that tax the EMS system.