Factors Affecting the Psychological Health of Community Health Workers Amid the Pandemic

Abstract

The outbreak of the coronavirus in late 2019 and WHO’s declaration of it as a global pandemic followed by a nation-wise lockdown posed a severe threat to the mental health and well-being of the people. The fear and ambiguity arising from the emergency and the need to fight an unknown situation triggered fear and confusion in the minds of the people. The disruption caused by the pandemic has taken a toll on the psychological health of individuals, more specifically the healthcare workers. The community health workers are the unsung heroes who have fought the emergency with utmost courage, dedication, and sincerity. This article aims to find the factors affecting the psychological health of these workers who provided basic healthcare services to society. Data was collected from 227 Anganwadi and ASHA workers (community health workers) using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The relation between the endogenous variable (psychological health) and exogenous variables (work-family conflict, family-work conflict, work satisfaction, and family satisfaction) was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A model was developed using structural equation modelling explaining the relationships. EFA generated five factors which are in line with the theoretical proposition. Sample adequacy was tested using KMO. The research findings show a positive and significant relationship between the endogenous and the exogenous variables.

Keywords: Psychological Health, Work Satisfaction, Family Satisfaction, Work-Family Conflict, Family-Work Conflict, Community Health Workers, Structural Equation Modelling

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