# Supports for Mental Well-Being Valued by Healthcare Workers: Qualitative Analysis of Data From a Canadian Cohort of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

## TL;DR

Healthcare workers during the pandemic valued peer support, mental health resources, and tangible workplace supports like staffing and time off.

## Contribution

Identifies specific mental health support needs and barriers among healthcare workers during the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Peer support and one-on-one counseling were most valued by healthcare workers.
- Tangible supports like staffing and time off were seen as barriers to well-being when lacking.
- Workplace social networks were suggested as a potential source of mental health support.

## Abstract

A prospective cohort of 4964 HCWs from four Canadian provinces was established early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were invited to comment about workplace mental health supports at three time points. We performed a thematic content analysis of responses from 1738 participants using the Social Support Behaviour Code framework to categorize barriers to support as informational, tangible, emotional, social, or expressing esteem. Themes were synthesized into suggestions for healthcare organizations to prepare for future crises. Formal and informal peer support, workplace mental health supports, and one-on-one counseling were most often mentioned as valued. Analysis suggested that workplace social networks as a source of support and mental health supports would have been appreciated. HCWs perceived that a lack of tangible workplace supports, such as staffing, compensation, and time off, were barriers to well-being. Medical workplaces could consider the availability of tangible supports in addition to developing formal mental health supports for healthcare workers.