The impact of having inadequate safety equipment on mental health

BACKGROUND: Concerns are being raised about the impact of inadequate safety equipment on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 medical response. AIMS: To assess the impact of inadequate safety equipment on the mental health of service personnel deployed on operations in order to better understand the impact on those working under the similarly demanding conditions of the COVID-19 medical response. METHODS: Self-report surveys were conducted in four operational environments with 3435 personnel providing data. Surveys recorded data on socio-demographic, military and operational characteristics, mental health measures and specific occupational stressors. Analysis through logistic regression explored the association between inadequate equipment and all other factors. RESULTS: A total of 3401 personnel provided data on their perceptions of the adequacy of their equipment, of which 532 (15%) stated that they had a lot of concerns that they did not have the right equipment in working order. Analysis found significantly greater odds of reporting symptoms of common mental health disorders (CMD), 2.49 (2.03-3.06), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 2.99 (2.11-4.24), poorer global health 2.09 (1.62-2.70) and emotional problems 1.69 (1.38-2.06) when individuals reported working with inadequate equipment. Analyses remained significant when adjusted for confounding factors such as rank, sex and operational environment. CONCLUSIONS: An individual's perception of having inadequate equipment is significantly associated with symptoms of CMD, probable PTSD, poorer global health and increased reporting of emotional problems. This in turn may impact on their ability to safely carry out their duties and may have longer-term mental health consequences.