The Impact of Virtual Working on Perceived Team Effectiveness in Secondary Mental Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Working as a team is the desired approach by many industries because of the benefits it provides for service users, team members, and services. However, to make a team work, many factors must be considered. One framework that can support this process is the Input-Process-Output framework which represents the various, non-linear factors that can contribute to a team’s outcomes. For example, virtual working (VW) has been found to be a factor that can negatively impact team processes (e.g., trust, cohesion, communication) and team outputs (e.g., team effectiveness and satisfaction). With the pandemic enforcing VW, many spoke about its impact for clients using mental health services. However, little is known about the impact of VW during the pandemic on the teams providing the service. Aims: Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of VW during the pandemic on perceived team cohesion, trust, communication, perceived team effectiveness and job satisfaction. It also aimed to examine whether previously found correlations between these team processes and outputs could be generalised to teams who became virtual during the pandemic. Methodology: A quantitative online survey was completed by 57 NHS secondary community mental health workers. This survey consisting of six sections included variety of measures, testing team processes and outcomes. Results: There was a significant decline on perceived team cohesion, trust, and satisfaction. However, there was no statistically significant decline on team effectiveness during the pandemic. Results also confirmed previous findings regarding correlations between team processes and outcomes. Conclusion: Virtual working may have had a negative impact on secondary mental health teams during the pandemic. However, despite this, team members have expressed wishes to maintain some aspects of VW. This study adds to our growing examination of the true impact of the pandemic and provides clinical and research recommendations that could support team effectiveness, especially as hybrid ways of working are becoming the norm for many.