Perceptual link between inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) stressors and common mental symptoms in Ethiopian health workers: WASH and Mental Health
1
Preventive Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2
Mental Health Epidemiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3
Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
4
African Population and Health Research Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The prevalence of common mental disorders is rising among health workers. However, information is scarce on how health workers perceive a link with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as work stressors. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how health workers perceive the link between inadequate WASH and common mental symptoms (CMSs) in central and southern Ethiopian regions.
METHODS:
We used a qualitative approach guided by theoretical frameworks. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 10 in-depth interviews with health workers were conducted. We explored the perceived link with inadequate WASH after assessing health workers’ conceptualization of common mental health symptoms. The interviews and FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English.Thematic analysis was performed using MaxQDA software and themes were supported by participants’ quotes when necessary.
RESULTS:
Four themes emerged from the data based on the guiding theoretical models relevant to the research questions. Most health workers believed and frequently suggested that inadequate water supply, functional hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and waste management services at the points of care increased the risk of occupational stress, job anxiety, and occupational depression symptoms. Participants perceived that inadequate WASH causes them to experience negative professional quality of life at work, despite believing that WASH problems cannot be solved at the individual level. Participants recurrently listed many individual, organisational, and system-level barriers to reducing and coping with inadequate WASH as stressors.
CONCLUSIONS:
Healthcare workers perceived inadequate WASH components as contributing to symptoms of common mental disorders and negatively affecting their professional quality of life. The findings suggest the implementation of integrated WASH and mental health services for healthcare workers, ranging from establishing individual-level interventions to increasing access to WASH around care areas through collaborative efforts with healthcare administration, broader health systems, water supplies, and sewerage services.
The prevalence of common mental disorders is rising among health workers. However, information is scarce on how health workers perceive a link with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as work stressors. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how health workers perceive the link between inadequate WASH and common mental symptoms (CMSs) in central and southern Ethiopian regions.
METHODS:
We used a qualitative approach guided by theoretical frameworks. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 10 in-depth interviews with health workers were conducted. We explored the perceived link with inadequate WASH after assessing health workers’ conceptualization of common mental health symptoms. The interviews and FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English.Thematic analysis was performed using MaxQDA software and themes were supported by participants’ quotes when necessary.
RESULTS:
Four themes emerged from the data based on the guiding theoretical models relevant to the research questions. Most health workers believed and frequently suggested that inadequate water supply, functional hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and waste management services at the points of care increased the risk of occupational stress, job anxiety, and occupational depression symptoms. Participants perceived that inadequate WASH causes them to experience negative professional quality of life at work, despite believing that WASH problems cannot be solved at the individual level. Participants recurrently listed many individual, organisational, and system-level barriers to reducing and coping with inadequate WASH as stressors.
CONCLUSIONS:
Healthcare workers perceived inadequate WASH components as contributing to symptoms of common mental disorders and negatively affecting their professional quality of life. The findings suggest the implementation of integrated WASH and mental health services for healthcare workers, ranging from establishing individual-level interventions to increasing access to WASH around care areas through collaborative efforts with healthcare administration, broader health systems, water supplies, and sewerage services.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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