The Mediating Role of Fatigue Between Mental Health and Its Associated Factors: Evidence From Chinese Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of fatigue between mental health and its associated factors, including workload, social support, and occupational protection, among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A national cross-sectional survey was performed to collect data from healthcare workers who have attended to patients with COVID-19. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the mediating effect of fatigue. The results indicated that fatigue was a significant mediator of mental health. The proportion of indirect effect with regards to the total effect of workload on mental health was 54.2%, significantly greater than other factors such as social support (19.7%) and occupational protection (23.4%). The findings confirmed that workload, social support, and occupational protection both had indirect and direct effects on mental health status through fatigue. To some extent, potential interventions designed to alleviate fatigue would reduce mental health problems among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.