{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T01:58:27Z","timestamp":1780538307856,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,6]],"date-time":"2021-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614988800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund according to the supported activity \u2018Research Projects Implemented by World-class Researcher Groups\u2019 under Measure No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718","award":["(Project No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0072)."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(Project No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0072)."]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on healthcare globally. Additional pressure created by coronavirus adversely affected the mental health and psychological well-being of healthcare workers, leading many to question their desire and willingness to continue working in healthcare. This study aimed to identify predictors for career change ideation among healthcare professionals in two countries; Lithuania and the United Kingdom amid the coronavirus pandemic. In total, 610 healthcare professionals from Lithuania and the UK (285 and 325, respectively) participated in a survey from May to August 2020. Psychological distress and psychological well-being were measured using the self-report scales \u201cDASS-21\u201d and \u201cWHO-5\u201d. Almost half of the sample (49.2%), 59.6% and 40.0% in Lithuanian and the UK, respectively, exhibited career change ideation, the country effect was significant (AOR = 2.21, p &lt; 0.001). Stronger ideation to leave healthcare was predicted by higher levels of depression (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.005), stress (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.007), anxiety surrounding inadequate personal protective equipment (AOR = 2.27, p = 0.009), and lower psychological well-being scores (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.007). We conclude that psychosocial support must be provided for healthcare professionals to prevent burnout and loss of staff amid the pandemic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18052660","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,7]],"date-time":"2021-03-07T20:20:43Z","timestamp":1615148443000},"page":"2660","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["\u2018Should I Stay, or Should I Go?\u2019 Psychological Distress Predicts Career Change Ideation among Intensive Care Staff in Lithuania and the UK Amid COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Ieva","family":"Norkiene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8043-3003","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lina","family":"Jovarauskaite","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 29, LT-03100 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2339-8632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monika","family":"Kvedaraite","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 29, LT-03100 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8498-3408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Encarl","family":"Uppal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel, London E1 1FR, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mandeep Kaur","family":"Phull","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barking Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust, Rom Valley Way, Romford Essex, London RM7 0AG, UK"},{"name":"Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heidi","family":"Chander","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barking Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust, Rom Valley Way, Romford Essex, London RM7 0AG, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9148-9811","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kathryn","family":"Halford","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barking Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust, Rom Valley Way, Romford Essex, London RM7 0AG, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6654-6220","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evaldas","family":"Kazlauskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 29, LT-03100 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2020, December 04). WHO Director-General\u2019s Opening Remarks at the MEDIA briefing on COVID-19\u201411 March 2020. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/dg\/speeches\/detail\/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2021, March 03). Weekly Operational Update on COVID-19\u20141 March 2021. 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