The Effect of Patient Aggression on Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health and Anxiety Mediated by Psychological Well-being during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

The aftermath effects including overstressed health systems, increased number of cases, death rates, and patient aggression have significant implications on the healthcare workers’ psychological well-being. Building on both the Health Belief Model and Conservation of Resources theory, this study examined the impact of patient aggression on healthcare workers’ psychological well-being, anxiety, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the study tested the mediating role of psychological well-being in the abovementioned relationships. Data obtained from 549 Lebanese healthcare workers in private hospitals in a two-wave survey was used to evaluate the proposed study’s relationships, using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that patient aggression has significant negative impacts on healthcare workers’ psychological well-being and mental health while it increases anxiety. Further, psychological well-being partially mediated the relationship between patient aggression and anxiety. Theoretical contributions, practical implications of the study, and suggestions for further studies are discussed.