The Work Environment during Coronavirus Epidemics and Pandemics: A Systematic Review of Studies Using Quantitative,...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Epidemics and pandemics significantly disrupt normal work environments and occupational health.
• Previous research has not comprehensively synthesized the effects on the working population or effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of how work environments and occupational health are affected during epidemics and pandemics.
• To describe interventions aimed at improving work environments during these health crises.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Searched CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo, and Web of Science for studies on the working population during coronavirus epidemics/pandemics until October 2020.
• Quality assessment used a modified Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), retaining 95 studies after exclusions.

Main Results:

• Healthcare personnel reported increased job demands, leadership issues, and resource shortages (PPE, staffing, competence).
• High job demands and direct work with infected patients correlated with adverse mental health outcomes.
• A significant gap exists in studies evaluating interventions, research beyond healthcare, and high-quality evidence.

Conclusions:

• The working population, especially healthcare staff, faces significant occupational health challenges during pandemics.
• Interventions to improve work environments and mitigate negative mental health impacts are critically understudied.
• Further high-quality research is needed across diverse industries and focusing on effective interventions.