A Thematic Analysis: NHS staff experiences of NHS therapy support
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring NHS staff experiences of receiving post-pandemic therapy support from an NHS Staff Support Service: A Thematic Analysis
IRAS ID
323554
Contact name
Hannah Carroll
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 8 days
Research summary
Healthcare staff are particularly vulnerable to suffering with burnout due to exposure to many risk-factors such as emotionally intense interactions, long working hours and exhausting shift patterns, with a lack of control over the demands placed upon them. Healthcare staff are also more at risk of suffering with ‘moral distress’ (the psychological unease generated when professionals identify an ethically correct action to take but are constrained in their ability to take that action) and sustained levels of moral distress can lead to ‘moral injury’ (when there is impaired function or longer-term psychological harm).
In April 2020 the BMA found that more than 40% of doctors were experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, or burnout that has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the pandemic acting as a catalyst, many NHS trusts developed a range of initiatives to support staff both throughout the pandemic and beyond. Trusts set up in-house staff wellbeing services and staff support lines, offering psychological therapies. In early 2021 NHS England set up a total of 40 mental health hubs across England for frontline health and social care staff to access rapid mental health assessments and evidence-based support. There is limited research in this area due to the fact that most staff support services were created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and so the area is still relatively new.
This study will look at the experiences of NHS staff who received support from NHS Staff Support Services. The study will conduct interviews with 8-10 members of NHS staff who accessed support from staff support services across East Anglia. Semi-structured interviews will take place either face to face or virtually and are expected to last approximately one hour. Interviews will be analysed using Thematic Analysis, drawing out themes that will provide information on the experience of staff receiving support in an NHS staff support service.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EM/0158
Date of REC Opinion
18 Aug 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion