Toronto Hospitals' Support of Healthcare Worker Mental Health: Learning from Experiences in the COVID-19 Pandemic to Do Better in the Future

The healthcare work environment has historically caused occupational stress injuries in healthcare workers (HCWs). Stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have further increased this risk. The pandemic also created recognition of the need for effective mental health supports in HCWs. Many organizations implemented HCW mental wellness programs. Initial reports on program structure and/or plans have been published, but a review of what programs have been used, the rationale for these programs, and reports on outcomes and qualitative experience of program implementation are lacking. Now is the time to learn from experiences during the pandemic, in order to benefit from the knowledge created throughout the pandemic. This project will answer the question: How did Toronto Hospitals provide mental health support to their staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what was the experience of those who participated? We will start by exploring the mental health programs implemented in Toronto hospitals in response to COVID-19, selecting 2-3 organizations to be the subject of case studies. We will recruit program facilitators, organizers and hospital staff who received support to participate in individual interviews and/or focus groups, to learn about their firsthand experiences facilitating, organizing and participating in programs. We will review and reflect upon the transcribed interviews, looking for topics that consistently arise, as well as similarities and differences in individuals' experiences within each case. We will then compare between cases to identify trends related to success or failures which may indicate what approaches should or should not be taken in the future. Findings will inform the development of a framework or guideline that will be shared with hospital administrators and other individuals involved in implementing mental health support for HCWs to improve future program implementation.