Mental Health Outcomes Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic in a Group of Health Care Professionals

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the mental health of health care workers (HCWs), and optimal strategies to provide psychological support for HCWs are not currently established. Aims: To rapidly review recently-published literature on the mental health of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Query of all quantitative research through the PubMed database on the mental health of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic which utilized validated mental health instruments. 723 articles were screened and 87 articles were included. Results: Nearly all included studies were cross-sectional, survey-based assessments of the prevalence of and risk factors for mental illness. Only one interventional study was identified. Prevalence of mental health outcomes varied widely: 7.0-97.3% anxiety, 10.6-62.1% depression, 2.2-93.8% stress, 3.8-56.6% post traumatic stress, 8.3-88.4% insomnia, and 21.8-46.3% burnout. Risk and protective factors were identified in personal and professional domains, including degree of COVID-19 exposure, adequacy of protective equipment, and perception of organizational support. Conclusions: The myriad risk factors for poor mental health among HCWs suggests that a comprehensive psychosocial support model with individual- and organization-level interventions is necessary. Further longitudinal research on specific evidence-based interventions to mitigate adverse mental health outcomes among HCWs is urgently needed as the pandemic continues.

Download Full-text

Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes in Oman during COVID19: Frontline vs Non-frontline Healthcare Workers

10.1101/2020.06.23.20138032 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Muna Alshekaili ◽

Walid Hassan ◽

Nazik Al Said ◽

Fatima Alsulaimani ◽

Sathish Kumar Jayapal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychosocial Interventions ◽

Severity Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess and compare demographic and psychological factors and sleep status of frontline HCWs in relation to non-frontline HCWs DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from the 8th to the 17th of April 2020 across varied health care settings in Oman accruing 1139 HCWS. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mental health status was assessed using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and insomnia was evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Samples were categorized into the frontline and non-frontline groups. Chi-square, odds ratio, and independent t-tests were used to compare groups by demographic and mental health outcomes. Results This study included 1139 HCWs working in Oman. There was a total of 368 (32.3%), 388 (34.1%), 271 (23.8%), and 211 (18.5%) respondents reported to have depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia, respectively while working during the pandemic period. HCWs in the frontline group were 1.4 times more likely to have anxiety (OR=1.401, p=0.007) and stress (OR=1.404, p=0.015) as compared to those working in the non-frontline group. On indices of sleep-wake cycles, HCWs in the frontline group were 1.37 times more likely to report insomnia (OR=1.377, p=0.037) when compared to those working in the non-frontline group. No significant differences in depression status between workers in the frontline and non-frontline groups were found (p=0.181). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different grades of HCWs. This study suggests that frontline HCWs are disproportionally affected compared to non-frontline HCWs. The problem with managing sleep-wake cycles and anxiety symptoms were highly endorsed among frontline HCWs. As psychosocial interventions are likely to be constrained owing to the pandemic, mental health care must first be directed to frontline HCWs.

Download Full-text