In the midst of the current global COVID-19 pandemic, frontline service workers (e.g., healthcare and social services) are experiencing unprecedented work conditions that are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting, which impact one’s psychological well-being. To combat the impending mental health crises, McMaster researchers partnered with the CMHA Hamilton to assess the effectiveness of a CMHA Hamilton’s free short-term counselling initiative offered to healthcare and social service workers in Hamilton. The counselling program is being offered to all Hamilton essential human services staff experiencing stress and anxiety from working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Diana Singh, lead a survey-based research program evaluation of CMHA’s new counselling initiative in order to determine its effectiveness in combatting the short and long-term mental health consequences—e.g. anxiety, post-traumatic stress, chronic stress and burnout—of working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this evaluation will inform program improvement and further program development.