Examining the Mental Health and Well-Being of NHS Professionals: A Longitudinal View of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This thesis portfolio comprises three parts. Part one is a systematic literature review, part two is an empirical paper, and part three is the appendices. This thesis aimed to explore the mental health and well-being of NHS staff at various points during the pandemic (before, during, or after).Part One: A systematic literature review on the mental health and well-being of NHS nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review included 11 papers. Data from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies were synthesised using a convergent integrated approach. Four integrated findings were created. The findings highlighted that the pandemic appeared to contribute to adverse outcomes for NHS nurses' mental health and well-being, with several influencing factors (both positive and negative) being identified. When supporting NHS nurses with any future difficulties, support should not be solely psychological therapy and should be more holistic.Part Two: An empirical paper investigating clinical psychologists' mental health and well-being before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten fully qualified clinical psychologists completed semi-structured interviews, and a reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings illustrated that clinical psychologists experienced mental health difficulties at various points, especially during the pandemic, with multiple factors influencing mental health and well-being (both positively and negatively). The findings highlighted the importance of clinical psychologists being able to access support, and NHS staff reflecting upon pandemic experiences.Part Three: Appendices for parts one and two, plus a reflective and epistemological statement.