Background

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the already existing pressure on healthcare  and welfare professionals, resulting in a growing shortage of staff.

Objective

The aim of the Be.well.pro survey is to monitor work-related mental well-being of healthcare  and welfare professionals in Belgium. A first measurement in a national, representative sample will be conducted in November 2024. Based on the results, targeted measures can be taken in the future to strengthen this well-being. Here, we report on the results of the Be.well.pro pilot study conducted in 2022 - 2023.

Methods

The Be.well.pro survey was developed based on existing surveys and input from stakeholders. It was tested in a pilot study among 2960 respondents from eight Belgian regions with integrated care and/or mental health networks. Psychometric analyses and descriptive statistics were conducted.

Results

The be.well.pro survey has been (partly) validated and proved to be a useful monitoring instrument. Furthermore, some preliminary results could be established. If they were to leave their current job, 21,9% of the respondents would look for a job outside the healthcare or welfare sector, 18.1% would stay within the sector but with a different organization. Moreover, the average reported risk of burnout was 2.2 (1-5 scale), indicating the continued strain on the healthcare workforce in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Conclusion

This study shows the usability of the (partly) validated Be.well.pro survey to monitor work-related wellbeing healthcare  and welfare professionals.