How do immunocompromised people experience the changes in their working lives during the COVID-19 pandemic? Results from a mixed-methods study in Germany

Greta S Wegener; Eva Hummers; Frank Müller; Dominik Schröder; Sascha Roder; Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka; Georg M N Behrens; Sandra Steffens; Tim Schmachtenberg

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20344

How do immunocompromised people experience the changes in their working lives during the COVID-19 pandemic? Results from a mixed-methods study in Germany

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 20;9(10):e20344. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20344. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Greta S Wegener¹, Eva Hummers¹, Frank Müller^{1

2}, Dominik Schröder¹, Sascha Roder¹, Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka^{3

4}, Georg M N Behrens^{3

4

5}, Sandra Steffens^{3

6

7}, Tim Schmachtenberg^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Humboldtallee 38, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
² Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, 15 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503, USA.
³ Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
⁴ German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 26, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
⁵ Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM), Feodor-Lynen-Straße 7, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
⁶ Dean's Office - Curriculum Development, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1. 30625 Hannover, Germany.
⁷ Department of Urology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.

Abstract

Background and aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on many areas of life, including many people's job situations. Not everyone is affected in the same way - people with chronic conditions may experience increased mental stress and social problems. In this study, we focus on immunocompromised people (ICP), who are at high risk for a severe course of COVID-19. Our aim was to investigate the level of social participation during the pandemic, focusing on how ICPs perceive changes in their working lives.

Methods: We applied a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design with qualitative interviews (N = 13) and a quantitative cross-sectional survey with N = 179 participants. This approach allowed us to gain deep insights into the experience of occupational-social participation.

Results: Qualitative results show that working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic was seen as a relief by many, as medical necessities could be integrated more easily into everyday life. Understanding and consideration of their professional social network were essential for all respondents. Our interview data hint at an influence of the family situation (e.g., having children) and the relationship of the ICP to coworkers on the perception of changes to their work environment. The quantitative results indicate an interaction between mental health and employment status on social participation, with employment reducing the negative impact of poorer mental health on social participation after adjusting for sociodemographic variables.

Conclusions: Our results indicate changes necessary to integrate people with chronic conditions into working life, even under pandemic conditions. This includes the possibility of flexible working hours and compliance with hygiene measures at the workplace.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Germany; Immunosuppression; Mixed methods study; Qualitative interviews; Social participation; Work.