Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the coping strategies and job satisfaction among rehabilitation medical and paramedical staff deployed to different areas at the University of the Philippines Manila Philippine General Hospital, a designated COVID-19 referral center. Method: This was a cross-sectional study that utilized total population sampling of the medical and paramedical staff of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine deployed to other areas in PGH and who carried out non-rehabilitation-related clinical work responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic informed consent was obtained from each participant. Two sets of validated and reliable self-administered online questionnaires, namely, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory Tool and Satisfaction of Employee in Health Care (SEHC) Survey, were used to determine coping strategies and work satisfaction, respectively. Descriptive statistics (such as frequencies, percentages, ranges, means) were used to present the data. Results: A total of 50 medical and paramedical staff participated in the study. The participants’ age ranged from 22 to 60 years (mean: 30.2 ± 8.7). The majority were single (84%), women (64%), and with a Bachelor of Science degree. Most of the participants were assigned in the orange zone, which included the COVID ward nurses’ station and donning/doffing areas; with 30% who rotated in the COVID wards. There were three types of coping strategies utilized by the department staff: (1) emotion-focused coping, (2) problem-focused coping, and (3) dysfunctional coping. Problem-focused coping was the most common general strategy (mean COPE score for all problem-focused strategies, 3.1 ± 0.9). Acceptance was the most common specific coping strategy, followed by active coping and a tie among positive reframing, planning, and self-distraction. The work satisfaction rate was at 76.9% ± 13.2. Three out of 4 participants would recommend their workplace to other healthcare workers. Conclusion The medical and paramedical staff of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in a COVID referral center had relatively high job satisfaction despite their health risks and changes in responsibilities among others. The majority utilized functional coping strategies to help them adapt to the work demands. The sources of motivation and values of the staff are areas for future research to help explain their positive outlook about their jobs and generally high recommendation about their workplace in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis.
Job Satisfaction ; Health Personnel

Objective: This study described levels of fear, anxiety, depression, and contributing factors among health providers and administrative staff of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Philippine General Hospital (PGH-DRM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2020. We recruited 71 participants who were working in the premises of the hospital and those who were working from home by purposive sampling. The fear numerical rating scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to determine the presence of fear, anxiety, and depression. The 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) was used to determine the baseline level of physical and mental wellness among participants. Results: Seventy-three percent of the full-time, permanent employees of the PGH-DRM unit joined the study. Majority of the respondents were health providers (86%) but only one hospital staff had high-risk contact with patients with COVID-19. Most participants (63%) did a combination of on-site work and home-based work and three (4%) worked entirely from home. Moderate to severe levels of fear was reported by 54% of the participants. Fear levels were highest among those who worked on-site. Anxiety was borderline in 32%, and abnormal in 30%, while depression was borderline in 21%, and abnormally high in 34% of the participating employees. Feelings of anxiety were higher among those who worked on-site and who worked both on-site and from home, while depression was highest among those who worked from home. The SF-36 Physical Health Summary score (x̄ = 72.49) was higher than the Mental Health Summary score (x̄ = 55.45). Employees who worked from home had the highest SF-36 summary scores for both mental and physical health. Conclusion The employees of the DRM had low-risk contact work assignments when the PGH transitioned to a tertiary level COVID-19 referral hospital. Half of the employees experienced fear, anxiety, and depression and had low SF-36 summary scores in mental health. Further studies are needed to determine the key factors that affect their mental health and well-being during the pandemic. A relevant mental health and wellness program is strongly recommended.
Depression ; Anxiety ; Fear ; COVID-19 ; Mental Health