The role of the industrial psychologist in managing the psychological impact of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Journal: Frontiers in psychology

Volume: 13

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  WorkWell Research Unit, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Abstract summary 

Recently, the world experienced dramatic changes due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working remotely led to employees feeling isolated and experiencing fatigue and depression. The responsibility of addressing the psychological wellbeing of employees lies with industrial psychology practitioners. They support line management by counseling employees experiencing social and psychological problems. The objective of the present study was to explore the role of the industrial psychology practitioner in managing the psychological impact of COVID-19 on employees. Using a homogeneous sampling technique, a qualitative research design was employed based on social constructivism. Semi-structured interviews and a qualitative survey were utilized to gather the data from industrial psychology practitioners ( = 22) registered as psychologists and interns. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. Most participants believed that the onset of COVID-19 led to accelerated change in the workplace. The findings suggest that an industrial psychology practitioner's role in the changing world of work enables organizations to be prepared for the changes by providing multi-level interventions. Recommendations are made to organizations to implement interventions to facilitate support for employees in their attempt to deal with the psychological impact of COVID-19 on employees.

Authors & Co-authors:  Moralo Thapelo Sendry TS Graupner Lené Ilyna LI

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Agba A. O., Ocheni S. I., Agba M. S. (2020). COVID-19 and the world of work dynamics: a critical review. J. Educ. Soc. Res. 10:119. 10.36941/jesr-2020-0093
Authors :  2
Identifiers
Doi : 920894
SSN : 1664-1078
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
COVID-19;industrial psychology;mental health;psychological impact;workplace counseling
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Qualitative
Country of Study
Publication Country
Switzerland