scholarly journals Impact of viral epidemic outbreaks on mental health of healthcare workers: a rapid systematic review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Ricci-Cabello ◽  
Jose F. Meneses-Echavez ◽  
Maria Jesús Serrano-Ripoll ◽  
David Fraile-Navarro ◽  
Maria Antònia Fiol de Roque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
List Type ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo examine the impact of providing healthcare during or after health emergencies caused by viral epidemic outbreaks on healthcare workers′(HCWs) mental health, and to assess the available evidence base regarding interventions to reduce such impact.DesignSystematic rapid review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO, searched up to 23 March 2020.MethodWe selected observational and experimental studies examining the impact on mental health of epidemic outbreaks on HCWs. One reviewer screened titles and abstracts, and two reviewers independently reviewed full texts. We extracted study characteristics, symptoms, prevalence of mental health problems, risk factors, mental health interventions, and its impact. We assessed risk of bias for each individual study and used GRADE to ascertain the certainty of the evidence. We conducted a narrative and tabulated synthesis of the results. We pooled data using random-effects meta-analyses to estimate the prevalence of specific mental health problems.ResultsWe included 61 studies (56 examining impact on mental health and five about interventions to reduce such impact). Most were conducted in Asia (59%), in the hospital setting (79%), and examined the impact of the SARS epidemic (69%). The pooled prevalence was higher for anxiety (45%, 95% CI 21 to 69%; 6 studies, 3,373 participants), followed by depression (38%, 95% CI 15 to 60%; 7 studies, 3,636 participants), acute stress disorder (31%, 95% CI 0 to 82%, 3 studies, 2,587 participants), burnout (29%, 95% CI 25 to 32%; 3 studies; 1,168 participants), and post-traumatic stress disorder (19%, 95% CI 11 to 26%, 10 studies, 3,121 participants). Based on 37 studies, we identified factors associated with the likelihood of developing those problems, including sociodemographic (younger age and female gender), social (lack of social support, social rejection or isolation, stigmatization), and occupational (working in a high risk environment (frontline staff), specific occupational roles (e.g., nurse), and lower levels of specialised training, preparedness and job experience) factors. Five studies reported interventions for frontline HCW, two of which were educational and aimed to prevent mental health problems by increasing HCWs′ resilience. These interventions increased confidence in support and training, pandemic self-efficacy, and interpersonal problems solving (very low certainty). One multifaceted intervention implemented training and organisational changes) targeted at hospital nurses during the SARS epidemic, reporting improvements in anxiety, depression, and sleep quality (very low certainty). The two remaining interventions, which were multifaceted and based on psychotherapy provision, did not assess their impact.ConclusionThe prevalence of anxiety, depression, acute and post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout, was high both during and after the outbreaks. These problems not only have a long-lasting effect on the mental health of HCWs, but also hinder the urgent response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, by jeopardising attention and decision-making. Governments and healthcare authorities should take urgent actions to protect the mental health of HCWs. In light of the limited evidence regarding the impact of interventions to tackle mental health problems in HCWs, the risk factors identified in this study, more so when they are modifiable, represent important targets for future interventions.SUMARY BOX1:What is already known on this topic?Previous studies showed that healthcare workers involved providing frontline care during viral epidemic outbreaks are at high risk of developing mental health problems.Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to synthesize the evidence regarding the impact of viral epidemic outbreaks on mental health of healthcare workers.2:What does this study add?This timely systematic rapid review offers for the first time pooled estimations of the prevalence of the most common mental health problems experienced by HCWs during and after viral epidemic outbreaks, namely anxiety (45%), depression (38%), and acute stress disorder (31%), among others.Our study also identifies a broad number of factors associated with these conditions, including sociodemographic factors such as younger age and female gender, social factors such as lack of social support, social rejection or isolation, stigmatization, and occupational factors such as working in a high risk environment, specific occupational roles, and having lower levels of specialised training, preparedness and job experience.Our study shows that, although educational and multifaceted interventions might mitigate the development of mental health problems, the certainty on the evidence is very low - therefore indicating that further high quality research is urgently needed to inform evidence-based policies for viral pandemics.

scholarly journals Mental health problems in the general population during and after the first lockdown phase due to the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic: Rapid review of multi-wave studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Richter ◽  
Steffi Riedel-Heller ◽  
Simeon Zuercher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
General Populations ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThe SARS-Cov-2 pandemic and the lockdown response have increased mental health problems in general populations compared to pre-pandemic times. The course of mental health problems during and after the first lockdown phase has not yet been reviewed.MethodsWe conducted a rapid review of multi-wave studies in general populations with time points during and after the first lockdown phase. Repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were included. The main outcome assessed was whether indicators of mental health problems have changed during and after the first lockdown phase. The study was registered with PROSPERO No. CRD42020218640Findings23 studies with 56 indicators were included in the qualitative review. Studies that reported data from pre-pandemic assessments through lockdown indicated an increase in mental health problems. During lockdown no uniform trend could be identified. After lockdown mental health problems decreased slightly.InterpretationAs mental health care utilization indicators and data on suicides do not suggest an increase in demand during the first lockdown phase, we regard the increase in mental health problems as general distress that is to be expected during a global health crisis. Several methodological, pandemic-related, response-related and health policy-related factors need to be considered when trying to gain a broader perspective on the impact of the first wave of the pandemic and the first phase of lockdown on general populations’ mental health.

scholarly journals Mental health problems and correlates among 746 217 college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Ma ◽  
J. Zhao ◽  
Y. Li ◽  
D. Chen ◽  
T. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
College Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Senior Year ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Aims Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major public health concern all over the world. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population. This study aimed to assess the mental health problems and associated factors among a large sample of college students during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods This cross-sectional and nation-wide survey of college students was conducted in China from 3 to 10 February 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial factors, COVID-19 epidemic related factors and mental health problems. Acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Chinese versions of the impact of event scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Univariate and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with mental health problems. Results Among 821 218 students who participated in the survey, 746 217 (90.9%) were included for the analysis. In total, 414 604 (55.6%) of the students were female. About 45% of the participants had mental health problems. The prevalence rates of probable acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were 34.9%, 21.1% and 11.0%, respectively. COVID-19 epidemic factors that were associated with increased risk of mental health problems were having relatives or friends being infected (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72–2.33). Students with exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 ≥3 h/day were 2.13 times more likely than students with media exposure <1 h/day to have acute stress symptoms. Individuals with low perceived social support were 4.84–5.98 times more likely than individuals with high perceived social support to have anxiety and depressive symptoms. In addition, senior year and prior mental health problems were also significantly associated with anxiety or/and depressive symptoms. Conclusions In this large-scale survey of college students in China, acute stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple epidemic and psychosocial factors, such as family members being infected, massive media exposure, low social support, senior year and prior mental health problems were associated with increased risk of mental health problems. Psychosocial support and mental health services should be provided to those students at risk.

scholarly journals Psychological burden of quarantine in children and adolescents: A rapid systematic review and proposed solutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazish Imran ◽  
Irum Aamer ◽  
Muhammad Imran Sharif ◽  
Zubair Hassan Bodla ◽  
Sadiq Naveed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Adjustment Disorder ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
The Impact

As COVID-19 grips the world, many people are quarantined or isolated resulting in adverse consequences for the mental health of youth. This rapid review takes into account the impact of quarantine on mental health of children and adolescents, and proposes measures to improve psychological outcomes of isolation. Three electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science were searched. Two independent reviewers performed title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening. This review article included 10 studies. The seven studies before onset of COVID 19 about psychological impact of quarantine in children have reported isolation, social exclusion stigma and fear among the children. The most common diagnoses were acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Three studies during the COVID-19 pandemic reported restlessness, irritability, anxiety, clinginess and inattention with increased screen time in children during quarantine. These adverse consequences can be tackled through carefully formulated multilevel interventions. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.3088 How to cite this:Imran N, Aamer I, Sharif MI, Bodla ZH, Naveed S. Psychological burden of quarantine in children and adolescents: A rapid systematic review and proposed solutions. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.3088 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals The Impact of Epidemics and Pandemics on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6695
Author(s):  
Ottilia Cassandra Chigwedere ◽  
Anvar Sadath ◽  
Zubair Kabir ◽  
Ella Arensman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Background: There is increasing evidence that healthcare workers (HCWs) experience significant psychological distress during an epidemic or pandemic. Considering the increase in emerging infectious diseases and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review and synthesize the available evidence on the psychological impact of disease outbreaks on HCWs. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of epidemics and pandemics on the mental health of HCWs. Method: PubMed, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles databases were systematically searched from inception to June-end 2020 for studies reporting the impact of a pandemic/epidemic on the mental health of HCWs. Results: Seventy-six studies were included in this review. Of these, 34 (45%) focused on SARS, 28 (37%) on COVID-19, seven (9%) on MERS, four (5%) on Ebola, two (3%) on H1N1, and one (1%) on H7N9. Most studies were cross-sectional (93%) and were conducted in a hospital setting (95%). Common mental health symptoms identified by this review were acute stress disorder, depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The associated risk factors were working in high-risk environments (frontline), being female, being a nurse, lack of adequate personal protective equipment, longer shifts, lack of knowledge of the virus, inadequate training, less years of experience in healthcare, lack of social support, and a history of quarantine. Conclusion: HCWs working in the frontline during epidemics and pandemics experience a wide range of mental health symptoms. It is imperative that adequate psychological support be provided to HCWs during and after these extraordinary distressful events.

Changes in rehabilitation actors’ mental health literacy and support to employers: An evaluation of the SEAM intervention

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Annika Lexén ◽  
Maria Emmelin ◽  
Lars Hansson ◽  
Bengt Svensson ◽  
Susann Porter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Rehabilitation Professionals ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: Lack of mental health literacy among rehabilitation professionals and employers in the return-to-work of persons with mental health problems resulted in the development of a three-day group training program, the Support to Employers from rehabilitation Actors about Mental health (SEAM) intervention. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of SEAM on rehabilitation professionals’ knowledge and beliefs, attitudes, and supporting behaviors towards people with mental health problems and employers as part of the return-to-work process. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, 94 rehabilitation professionals were included. Data were collected prior to (T1), immediately after (T2) and 6 months after SEAM training (T3) using knowledge and attitude scales and a questionnaire on supporting behaviors. SEAM includes training in Mental Health First Aid, presentations and discussions on current research on work and mental health, and strategies and communication guidelines to use when meeting service users and employers as part of the return-to-work of persons with mental health problems. SEAM also includes a homepage with targeted employer information. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: SEAM significantly increased rehabilitation professionals’ knowledge of mental health (T1-T2: z = –2.037, p = 0.042; T2-T3: z = –5.093, p = 0.001), and improved their attitudes towards persons with mental health problems (T1-T2: z = 4.984, p = 0.001). Professionals (50–60%) also estimated that they had increased their use of supporting strategies towards service users and employers. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that SEAM can increase mental health literacy among rehabilitation professionals and lead to a greater focus on service users’ resources and work ability, as well as on employers’ support needs.

scholarly journals Does the Type of Exposure to Workplace Violence Matter to Nurses’ Mental Health?

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Farinaz Havaei
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cumulative Exposure ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Indirect Exposure ◽  
The Impact

Workplace violence is a prevalent phenomenon in healthcare, particularly among nursing professionals. Exposure to workplace violence may be direct through firsthand involvement, indirect through secondhand witnessing, or both. Even though implications for victims of workplace violence have been well-studied, less is known about the various types of exposure and their effects on nurse mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of workplace-violence exposure types on the mental health of nurses, while accounting for the intensity of the incident/s. This study employs an exploratory correlational design with survey methods. Nurses from British Columbia (BC), Canada, were invited by the provincial nurses’ union to complete an electronic survey in Fall 2019. A total of 2958 responses from direct-care nurses in acute-care settings were analyzed using logistic regression. The results showed that mental-health problems increased with cumulative exposure; even though nurses with solely indirect exposure to workplace violence did not report greater mental-health problems, those experiencing solely direct exposure, or both direct and indirect exposure, were two to four times more likely to report high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and burnout compared to their counterparts with no exposure. There is an urgent need for better mental-health support, prevention policies and practices that take into account the type of workplace-violence exposure.

scholarly journals The impact of SARS-CoV-2 transmission fear and COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders, severe asthma, and other high-risk groups (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Çölkesen ◽  
Oguzhan Kilincel ◽  
Mehmet Sozen ◽  
Eray Yıldız ◽  
Sengul Beyaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND The adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of high-risk group patients for morbidity and mortality and its impact on public health in the long term have not been clearly determined. OBJECTIVE To determine the level of COVID-19 related transmission fear and anxiety in healthcare workers and patients with primary immunodeficiency disorder (PID), severe asthma, and the ones with other comorbidities. METHODS The healthcare workers and patients with PID, severe asthma (all patients receiving biological agent treatment), malignancy, cardiovascular disease, hypertension (90% of patients receiving ACEI or ARB therapy), diabetes mellitus (42 % of patients receiving DPP-4 inhibitor therapy) were included in the study. A total of 560 participants, 80 individuals in each group, were provided. The hospital anxiety and depression scale ( HADS ) and Fear of illness and virus evaluation (FIVE ) scales were applied to the groups with face to face interview methods. RESULTS The mean age was 49.30 years and 306 (55 %) were female. The FIVE Scale and HADS-A scale scores of health care workers were significantly higher than other groups' scores (p = 0.001 and 0.006). The second-highest scores belonged to patients with PID. There was no significant difference between the groups for the HADS-D score (p=0.07). The lowest score in all scales was observed in patients with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that in the pandemic process, patients with primary immunodeficiency, asthma patients, and other comorbid patients, especially healthcare workers, should be referred to the centers for the detection and treatment of mental health conditions.

scholarly journals Online Mental Health Assessments of COVID-19 Patients in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Hyun Lee ◽  
Dayoung Lee ◽  
Soyoen Hyun ◽  
Ji Sun Hong ◽  
Chang-Hoon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Patient Health Questionnaire ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Post Traumatic

Experiences of infectious diseases cause stressful and traumatic life events, hence, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients could suffer from various mental health problems requiring psychological support services. This study investigates the severity of mental health problems among confirmed COVID-19 patients. From March to November 2020, we collected the data from 118 COVID-19 patients who voluntarily participated in the National Center for Disaster Trauma's online mental health assessment consisting of self-report scales like Primary Care of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen (PC-PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), and P4 Suicidality Screener. For control, 116 other disaster-experienced and 386 non-COVID-19-experienced participants were recruited. The COVID-19 patients showed more severe symptoms including post-traumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms than control groups across all four screening scales (p &lt; 0.001). Regarding high-risk, COVID-19 patients had an increased association with high-risk compared to the comparison groups (PC-PTSD: OR = 24.16, 95% CI = 13.52–43.16 p &lt; 0.001; PHQ-9: OR = 14.45, 95% CI = 8.29–25.19, p &lt; 0.001; GAD-7: OR=20.71, 95% CI = 10.74–39.96, p &lt; 0.001; PHQ-15: OR = 5.65, 95% CI = 3.44–9.25, p &lt; 0.001; P4: OR = 14.67, 95% CI = 8.95–25.07, p &lt; 0.001). This study's results imply that there is a high-risk of overall mental health problems, especially stronger associations of post-traumatic stress symptoms, in COVID-19 patients. These findings help inform practitioners about the psychological responses to COVID-19 experiences and to prepare appropriate interventions and services for the incremental number of confirmed cases.

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