Identification and Ranking of Factors Related to Mental Health Problems in Healthcare Workers from the Perspective of Stakeholders and Experts

Payam  Khanlari; AhmadAli  NoorbalaTafti; Fakhradin  Ghasemi; Shahrzad  Ghiyasvandian; Kamal  Azam; Seyed Abolfazl  Zakerian

doi:10.18502/jhsw.v16i1.21888

Payam Khanlari Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
AhmadAli NoorbalaTafti Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fakhradin Ghasemi Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Management, School of Health, Abadan University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
Shahrzad Ghiyasvandian Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing and Basic Sciences, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Kamal Azam Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Abolfazl Zakerian Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jhsw.v16i1.21888

Keywords: Healthcare workers, Mental health, Risk factor, Depression, Anxiety

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare workers face high rates of depression and anxiety due to job-related stressors,which harm their well-being and compromise care quality and patient safety. This study aims to integrateevidence and expert/stakeholder insights to identify and prioritize factors affecting healthcare workers’mental health, enabling more targeted interventions and efficient resource allocation.

Material and Methods: This qualitative-ranking study used semi-structured interviews with purposivelysampled hospital occupational health managers to identify factors affecting healthcare workers’ mentalhealth, with interviews recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis in MAXQDA untilsaturation. The identified factors were then rated by industrial psychology experts and psychiatrists usinga five-point Likert survey.

Results: 12 occupational health managers were interviewed, and 18 experts completed the ranking. 51factors across 19 subcategories were identified in four main work-system levels: Individual (14 factors),Work/Task (16), Organizational (12), and External (9). In ranking, a history of mental illness was rated asthe most important factor (mean 4.36), while working with automation was rated as the least important(mean 2.84); 11 factors scored >4, and many factors scored 3.5–4.

Conclusion: Using a systemic approach and stakeholder input, this study identified and prioritized factorsaffecting healthcare workers’ mental health across four levels—individual, work/task, organizational, andexternal—enabling more targeted, evidence-based interventions.