Workplace and personal predictors of well-being in the broader maternity and neonatal workforce during COVID-19: evidence from a multicentre survey.
8 affiliations
- 1School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. [email protected].
- 2Metro North Health Service - Redcliffe Hospital, Queensland Health, Redcliffe, QLD, Australia. [email protected].
- 3Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Redcliffe Hospital, Anzac Ave, Redcliffe, QLD, 4020, Australia. [email protected].
- 4School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- 5Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH), Metro North Health, Queensland Health, Herston, QLD, Australia.
- 6School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- 7Metro North Health - Mental Health, Queensland Health, Herston, QLD, Australia.
- 8Metro North Health Service - Redcliffe Hospital, Queensland Health, Redcliffe, QLD, Australia.
Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressures on maternity and neonatal services, disrupting models of care and amplifying existing stressors for healthcare staff. While much of the literature has focused on doctors and midwives, less is known about the emotional well-being of the broader multidisciplinary maternity and neonatal workforce, including neonatal nurses, sonographers, allied health, and administrative staff. Understanding the collective impact of workplace and personal factors on emotional well-being across this multidisciplinary group is essential for developing effective, inclusive workforce support strategies.Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among maternity and neonatal staff, including doctors, midwives, nurses, sonographers, allied health, and administrative staff, from one tertiary and two secondary Australian hospitals. Survey responses were analysed using exploratory factor analysis to identify subscales representing key dimensions of emotional well-being, as well as workplace-related and personal factors influencing it. These subscales were then used in multiple hierarchical regression analyses to determine predictors of emotional well-being among staff.Results
The strongest predictor of emotional well-being was the subscale 'Impact of COVID-19 on the Workplace' (β = -0.345, p < 0.001), encompassing factors such as perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, staff ability to perform duties, and adverse patient outcomes. Other significant predictors included average sleep duration (β = -0.230, p < 0.001), substance use (β = -0.210, p < 0.001), and time spent on outdoor activities (β = -0.130, p < 0.001). The predictive model explained 35.1% of the variance in emotional well-being (R² = 0.351).Conclusion
Workplace-related and personal factors significantly influenced maternity and neonatal staff well-being during the pandemic. Addressing workplace stress, promoting sleep, supporting healthy coping mechanisms, and encouraging restorative activities may improve staff well-being. These findings can inform the design of targeted workforce support programs and guide service planning strategies to strengthen resilience during future system shocks.Trial registration
Not applicable.
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BibTeX
@article{lindgren2026workplace,
title = {{Workplace and personal predictors of well-being in the broader maternity and neonatal workforce during COVID-19: evidence from a multicentre survey.}},
author = {Alexander J Lindgren and Leonie Callaway and Kylie Burke and Elizabeth Ryan and Lisa McKeown and Alka Kothari},
journal = {BMC health services research},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12913-026-14588-x},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928238},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Workplace and personal predictors of well-being in the broader maternity and neonatal workforce during COVID-19: evidence from a multicentre survey.
AU - Alexander J Lindgren
AU - Leonie Callaway
AU - Kylie Burke
AU - Elizabeth Ryan
AU - Lisa McKeown
AU - Alka Kothari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/28
JO - BMC health services research
DO - 10.1186/s12913-026-14588-x
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928238
AB - Background The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented pressures on maternity and neonatal services, disrupting models of care and amplifying existing stressors for healthcare staff. While much of the literature has focused on doctors and midwives, less is known about the emotional well-being of the broader multidisciplinary maternity and neonatal workforce, including neonatal nurses, sonographers, allied health, and administrative staff. Understanding the collective impact of workplace and personal factors on emotional well-being across this multidisciplinary group is essential for developing effective, inclusive workforce support strategies.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among maternity and neonatal staff, including doctors, midwives, nurses, sonographers, allied health, and administrative staff, from one tertiary and two secondary Australian hospitals. Survey responses were analysed using exploratory factor analysis to identify subscales representing key dimensions of emotional well-being, as well as workplace-related and personal factors influencing it. These subscales were then used in multiple hierarchical regression analyses to determine predictors of emotional well-being among staff.Results The strongest predictor of emotional well-being was the subscale 'Impact of COVID-19 on the Workplace' (β = -0.345, p < 0.001), encompassing factors such as perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, staff ability to perform duties, and adverse patient outcomes. Other significant predictors included average sleep duration (β = -0.230, p < 0.001), substance use (β = -0.210, p < 0.001), and time spent on outdoor activities (β = -0.130, p < 0.001). The predictive model explained 35.1% of the variance in emotional well-being (R² = 0.351).Conclusion Workplace-related and personal factors significantly influenced maternity and neonatal staff well-being during the pandemic. Addressing workplace stress, promoting sleep, supporting healthy coping mechanisms, and encouraging restorative activities may improve staff well-being. These findings can inform the design of targeted workforce support programs and guide service planning strategies to strengthen resilience during future system shocks.Trial registration Not applicable.
SN - 1472-6963
ER -