The relationships among psychosocial impact, professional type, and vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) faced significant mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the associations between vaccine hesitancy, pandemic-related social influences, and coping strategies, and examined differences across HCW professions.

Methods: We analyzed data collected via paper-based questionnaires between October 2022 and March 2023, during the third wave of COVID-19 in Taiwan. Cross-sectional surveys were administered to HCWs to gather data on vaccine attitudes, perceived social influences, and professional categories. Vaccine attitudes and social influence variables were assessed using the Vaccination Attitudes Examination and the Societal Influences Survey Questionnaire, respectively. Correlation analyses and multiple regression were conducted to identify factors associated with vaccine attitudes and to examine differences in vaccine hesitancy across various HCW professions.

Results: Based on data from a total of 730 HCWs, the participants had a mean age of 36.93 years (SD = 11.01), with 72.2% identifying as female. Their professional roles included physicians (n = 32, 4.4%), nursing staff (n = 320, 43.8%), allied health professionals (n = 71, 9.7%), and administrative personnel (n = 307, 42.1%). The findings indicated that those with higher levels of social anxiety were significantly more likely to exhibit vaccine hesitancy (β = 1.13, p < .001), whereas those with greater social desirability, defined as adherence to and confidence in COVID-19 prevention policies, were significantly less likely to be hesitant (β = -1.20, p < .001); in addition, compared with physicians, nursing staff (β = 6.27, p < .001), allied health professionals (β = 4.15, p < .024), and administrative staff (β = 5.31, p = .002) demonstrated significantly higher levels of vaccine hesitancy. Social information was not significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy (β = -0.37, p = .148).

Conclusions: This study examined how the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with vaccine hesitancy among HCWs. Key factors such as social anxiety, social desirability, and professional role were associated with vaccine acceptance. The results of this study indicate that strategies such as offering incentives, boosting job security, and strengthening trust in public health policies may help reduce vaccine hesitancy among HCWs.