Effort-reward imbalance influences perceived patient safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, mediated by work-family conflict: results from the longitudinal VOICE study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic increased psychosocial burden on healthcare workers, especially related to work-family conflict, leading to significant health consequences. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the impact of work-family conflict on occupational stress and perceived patient safety among healthcare workers during the pandemic. Methods This multicenter longitudinal study included 1036 healthcare workers at two measurement time points: T1 (spring 2020) and T2 (autumn 2020). We used established questionnaires to assess work-family conflict (WFC), effort-reward imbalance (ERI), and perceived patient safety. Results Significant increases were observed in work-family conflict, effort-reward imbalance, and family-work conflict from T1 to T2. Effort-reward imbalance was significantly associated with perceived patient safety, with work-family conflict partially mediating this relationship. Conclusions Interventions are necessary to improve the mental health of healthcare workers, including strategies to rebalance work-family conflict, especially during a pandemic.