Perceived Stress and Performance of Daily Activities Among Emergency Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were exposed to intense stress in the emergency departments and sudden changes in their daily lives. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on performance and participation in the activities of daily living, personal lives, and overall well-being of the healthcare workers in an emergency department. Methods: Seventy-eight people working in an emergency department of a university hospital (100% of those eligible) participated in the study during June-July 2022. A self-report survey, cross-sectional design was used to collect data. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: There was a significant negative correlation between PSS and COPM Performance (r = −0.524) as well as between PSS and COPM Satisfaction (r = −0.508), indicating that higher levels of stress were associated with lower performance and satisfaction. In addition, work-related factors, including working experience, daily working hours, and time available for rest at work, were significantly associated with PSS, COPM Performance, and Satisfaction (p < 0.05). The strongest multivariate associations (p = 0.001) were found between lacking time to rest at work and PSS (direct) and COPM Performance and Satisfaction (inverse). Conclusion: The stress experienced by emergency healthcare workers during COVID-19 negatively impacted their performance, daily activities, personal lives, and well-being. A potential implication is that policy-makers addressing work-related factors and implementing regulations could improve the well-being of these workers in their professional practices. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.