Introduction

The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic exposed deficiencies in the management of German municipal public health authorities. The BMBF joint project SARSCoV2Dx aims to identify the needs of the heads of these authorities who were involved in pandemic management and propose measures for future crises. This study assessed the impact of gender, medical qualifications, and population size on the resilience and psychosocial workload of heads during the pandemic.

Materials and Methods

In June 2023, an online questionnaire surveyed heads in Thuringia, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Berlin. Analysis included gender, medical qualifications, and population size influences on workload, assessed through the ERI questionnaire and RS-13 scale.

Results

Results showed 54.1% female, 44.6% male, and 1.4% diverse heads. Medical qualifications included 71.9% public health, 67.2% other medical, and 17.2% public health degree, with an average of 1.5 specializations. No significant gender-medical qualification correlation was found (χ²(6) = 6.32, p = 0.38). Mean RS-13 score was M = 72.66 (SD = 12.42), indicating high stress resilience. Male heads had slightly higher scores (M = 74.37; SD = 10.55) than females (M = 73.14; SD = 8.48). Psychosocial stress, indicated by ER-ratio (M = 1.54; SD = 0.50), was higher for females (M = 1.61; SD = 0.63) than males (M = 1.47; SD = 1.47). Most heads managed populations > 50,000 ≤ 150,000 (40.5%), with a moderate correlation between population and resilience (ρ = .341, p = .010).

Summary

In summary, the study found a majority of female heads, no significant gender-medical qualification correlation, and high stress resilience among heads with medical specializations. Regardless of gender, heads exhibited high resilience. Larger responsibilities due to heads managed regions with higher population correlated with higher resilience, but psychosocial distress at work was prevalent. Further research is required to explore additional factors influencing pandemic management.