Psychological impact of quarantine on healthcare workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 666-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza L Gómez-Durán ◽  
Carles Martin-Fumadó ◽  
Carlos G Forero
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Public Health Communication

ObjectivesExposure to infection is an inherent occupational risk for healthcare workers and may lead them to undergo quarantine during disease outbreaks. Both front-line battle and quarantine are stressful experiences that may make psychological support for healthcare workers necessary. Psychological support measures based on the best available evidence should be included in emergency plans worldwide. We summarise the research evidence on the psychological impact of quarantine on healthcare workers.MethodsWe retrieved 470 articles on the psychological impact of quarantine on healthcare workers from the Web of Science and included in this review all 12 articles that met our inclusion criteria.ResultsThe reviewed studies reported acute stress during quarantine and long-lasting depressive, post-traumatic stress and alcohol dependency and abuse symptoms. Healthcare workers fear infection for themselves, but more so for their loved ones, and are also concerned about the stigma that may affect their families, most especially their children.ConclusionsThe safety of healthcare workers and their families during disease outbreaks needs to be ensured. Suitable alternative accommodation and personalised monitoring during quarantine are useful intervention measures to prevent adverse effects in healthcare workers. Clear public health communication will help reduce uncertainty, guilt and stigma. Financial aid should be considered for the more severely affected workers. Finally, mental healthcare for healthcare workers should be a priority, as quarantines can be a mental distress trigger. The development of efficient referral paths and the provision of counselling or psychotherapy during the confinement period are an opportunity for early mental health interventions.

The mental health burden of COVID-19 on cardiac healthcare workers and their patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Barbara M Murphy ◽  
Rosemary O Higgins ◽  
Alun C Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Cardiac Patients ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Early Recovery ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Mental Health Effects

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on the healthcare workforce across the world and, with many health professionals experiencing high levels of exposure to the coronavirus, the rate of infection among healthcare workers is high. Documented mental health effects on these workers are also concerning, with higher-than-usual levels of acute stress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, particularly insomnia. Cardiac patients are particularly vulnerable, and health professionals caring for this group face additional stresses. This article provides an overview of the mental health impacts of the pandemic on healthcare workers, with an emphasis on those working in hospital settings and in cardiac care, as well as on the patients for whom they care. The specific impacts of COVID-19 are also discussed, as well as associated social restrictions on cardiac patients, both during hospitalisation and early recovery, and in terms of long-term risks. Strategies are proposed that healthcare workers can adopt to help preserve and improve their coping and enhance their resilience as they work through this unprecedented and unpredictable pandemic.

scholarly journals Addressing the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers: learning from a systematic review of early interventions for frontline responders

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e044134
Author(s):  
Jasmine Jean Hooper ◽  
Lisa Saulsman ◽  
Tammy Hall ◽  
Flavie Waters
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Clinical Issue ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Healthcare Settings

ObjectivesProtecting healthcare workers from psychological harm is an urgent clinical issue within the current COVID-19 pandemic. Research on early psychological programmes that aim to prevent or reduce mental health symptoms and that have been tested in frontline responders may assist service providers with choosing a suitable intervention for rapid dissemination in healthcare settings.Design and outcome measuresFirst, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Google Scholar were searched through a systematic literature review of early psychological interventions administered to frontline responders in the last 15 years. Interventions were included if they were designed to prevent or reduce psychological impact and had outcome measures of psychological distress (eg, general psychopathology, post-traumatic stress disorder and stress) and/or positive mental health domains (eg, resilience, self-efficacy and life satisfaction). Second, the suitability of these programmes for the healthcare workforce was evaluated according to the criteria of effectiveness, content applicability and feasibility.ResultsOf 320 articles retrieved, 12 relevant studies were included that described six early psychological interventions. Although the evidence base is limited, psychological first aid, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, and trauma risk management showed effectiveness across at least two studies each with frontline workers. Resilience and coping for the healthcare community; anticipate, plan, and deter; and resilience at work programmes found promising results in single studies. Concerning other suitability criteria, all programmes appear applicable to healthcare settings and have acceptable feasibility for rapid implementation.ConclusionsDespite the limited evidence, several interventions were identified as potentially suitable and useful for improving psychological functioning of healthcare workers across a variety of disaster situations. Service providers should continue to implement and evaluate early psychological interventions in frontline workers in order to refine best practices for managing the psychological impact of future disasters.

scholarly journals Psychological Impact of a Pandemic Widespread in Healthcare Workers: The Italian and Swiss Perspective Early After of CoVid-19 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Uccella ◽  
Pietro Majno-Hurst ◽  
Sara Uccella ◽  
Luca Jacopo Pavan ◽  
Stefano Uccella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Short Time

Abstract Background. We investigated the COVID19-related psychological impact in healthcare workers three weeks after its onset in Italy and in Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. All professional groups of public hospitals in Italy and Switzerland were asked to complete a 38 questions online survey investigating demographic, marital and working status, presence of stress symptoms and need for psychological support. Results. Within 38 hours a total of 3,038 responses were collected. The subgroup analysis identified specific categories at risk according to age, type of work and region of origin. Critical care workers, in particular females, reported an increased number of working hours, decline in confidence in the future, presence of stress symptoms and need for psychological support. People reporting stress symptoms and those with children declared a higher need for psychological support. Conclusions. The large number of participants in such a short time advocates for a high interest on topic among hospital workers. The COVID19 outbreak could have been and still be a repeated trauma for many health professionals, with risk of future psychiatric sequelae. It is of outstanding importance to implement short and long-term measures to mitigate impact of the emotional burden of this pandemic while at the same time dealing with its clinical challenges.

scholarly journals Investigating the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: A Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 9096
Author(s):  
Kavita Batra ◽  
Tejinder Pal Singh ◽  
Manoj Sharma ◽  
Ravi Batra ◽  
Nena Schvaneveldt
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Subgroup Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Previous meta-analyses were conducted during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, which utilized a smaller pool of data. The current meta-analysis aims to provide additional (and updated) evidence related to the psychological impact among healthcare workers. The search strategy was developed by a medical librarian and bibliographical databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for studies examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of healthcare workers. Articles were screened by three reviewers. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model was utilized to obtain the pooled prevalence. A subgroup analysis by region, gender, quality of study, assessment methods, healthcare profession, and exposure was performed. Publication bias was assessed by Funnel plot and Egger linear regression test. Sixty-five studies met the inclusion criteria and the total sample constituted 79,437 participants. The pooled prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, post-traumatic stress syndrome, insomnia, psychological distress, and burnout was 34.4%, 31.8%, 40.3%, 11.4%, 27.8%, 46.1%, and 37.4% respectively. The subgroup analysis indicated higher anxiety and depression prevalence among females, nurses, and frontline responders than males, doctors, and second-line healthcare workers. This study highlights the need for designing a targeted intervention to improve resilience and foster post-traumatic growth among frontline responders.

scholarly journals PTSD as the second tsunami of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Dutheil ◽  
Laurie Mondillon ◽  
Valentin Navel
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Preventive Strategy ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Chronic Ptsd ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Acute Stress Disorders

Abstract Since the first cases, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapidly spread around the world, with hundred−thousand cases and thousands of deaths. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common consequence of major disasters. Exceptional epidemic situations also promoted PTSD in the past. Considering that humanity is undergoing the most severe pandemic since Spanish Influenza, the actual pandemic of COVID-19 is very likely to promote PTSD. Moreover, COVID-19 was renamed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2). With a poor understanding of viruses and spreading mechanisms, the evocation of SARS is generating a great anxiety contributing to promote PTSD. Quarantine of infected patients evolved to quarantine of ‘infected’ towns or popular districts, and then of entire countries. In the families of cases, the brutal death of family members involved a spread of fear and a loss of certainty, promoting PTSD. In the context of disaster medicine with a lack of human and technical resources, healthcare workers could also develop acute stress disorders, potentially degenerating into chronic PTSD. Globally, WHO estimates 30–50% of the population affected by a disaster suffered from diverse psychological distress. PTSD individuals are more at-risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and deaths by suicide – considering that healthcare workers are already at-risk occupations. We draw attention towards PTSD as a secondary effect of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, both for general population, patients, and healthcare workers. Healthcare policies need to take into account preventive strategy of PTSD, and the related risk of suicide, in forthcoming months.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Sleep Problems, and Psychological Distress Among COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Yun Lu ◽  
Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu ◽  
Shikha Kukreti ◽  
Carol Strong ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

The adverse effect of COVID-19 pandemic among individuals has been very disturbing especially among healthcare workers. This study aims to examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, sleep problems, and psychological distress among COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers in Taiwan. Hence, a total of 500 frontline healthcare workers were recruited to participate in this cross-sectional study. They responded to measures on fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, PTSD, perceived stigma, and self-stigma. The results indicated a prevalence rate of 15.4% for PTSD symptoms, 44.6% for insomnia, 25.6% for depressive symptoms, 30.6% for anxiety symptoms, and 23.4% for stress among the participants. There were significantly positive interrelationships between all these variables. Anxiety symptoms and fear of COVID-19 predicted PTSD whereas symptoms of anxiety, fear of COVID-19, and stress predicted insomnia. The prevalence rates of the psychological problems reveal a worrying view of mental health challenges among Taiwanese frontline healthcare workers. Anxiety symptoms and fear of COVID-19 are the common predictive factors of PTSD and sleep problems suggesting that mental healthcare services for them may help prevent future occurrence of psychological problems by allaying fears of healthcare workers. Therefore, there should be mental healthcare services for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of psychological support interventions for those exposed to mass infectious disease outbreaks: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Doherty ◽  
Valerio Benedetto ◽  
Catherine Harris ◽  
Paul Boland ◽  
Danielle L. Christian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
General Population ◽  
Expressive Writing ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Abstract Background Mass outbreaks such as pandemics are associated with mental health problems requiring effective psychological interventions. Although several forms of psychological interventions may be advocated or used, some may lack strong evidence of efficacy and some may not have been evaluated in mass infectious disease outbreaks. This paper reports a systematic review of published studies (PROSPERO CRD:42020182094. Registered: 24.04.2020) examining the types and effectiveness of psychological support interventions for the general population and healthcare workers exposed to mass infectious disease outbreaks. Methods A systematic review was conducted. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) were identified through searches of electronic databases: Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (EBSCO) and the Cochrane Library Database from inception to 06.05.2021 using an agreed search strategy. Studies were included if they assessed the effectiveness of interventions providing psychological support to the general population and / or healthcare workers exposed to mass infectious disease outbreaks. Studies were excluded if they focused on man-made or natural disasters or if they included armed forces, police, fire-fighters or coastguards. Results Twenty-two RCTs were included after screening. Various psychological interventions have been used: therapist-guided therapy (n = 1); online counselling (n = 1); ‘Emotional Freedom Techniques’ (n = 1); mobile phone apps (n = 2); brief crisis intervention (n = 1); psychological-behavioural intervention (n = 1); Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (n = 3); progressive muscle relaxation (n = 2); emotional-based directed drawing (n = 1); psycho-educational debriefing (n = 1); guided imagery (n = 1); Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (n = 1); expressive writing (n = 2); tailored intervention for patients with a chronic medical conditions (n = 1); community health workers (n = 1); self-guided psychological intervention (n = 1), and a digital behaviour change intervention (n = 1). Meta-analyses showed that psychological interventions had a statistically significant benefit in managing depression (Standardised Mean Difference [SMD]: -0.40; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: − 0.76 to − 0.03), and anxiety (SMD: -0.72; 95% CI: − 1.03 to − 0.40). The effect on stress was equivocal (SMD: 0.16; 95% CI: − 0.19 to 0.51). The heterogeneity of studies, studies’ high risk of bias, and the lack of available evidence means uncertainty remains. Conclusions Further RCTs and intervention studies involving representative study populations are needed to inform the development of targeted and tailored psychological interventions for those exposed to mass infectious disease outbreaks.

scholarly journals Protecting the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 emergency

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Chirico ◽  
Gabriella Nucera ◽  
Nicola Magnavita
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Occupational Risk Factors ◽  
Occupational Physicians ◽  
Managing Stress

Healthcare workers employed in the COVID-19 emergency are at high risk of stress, burnout and post-traumatic stress disorders. The most important occupational risk factors that employers should address include insufficient staff training and resources available, and lack of training and treatment protocols. In Italy, recent guidelines were released for providing all healthcare workers who are employed in this emergency with psychological support services based on coping strategies for managing stress. We suggest that preventive measures and a psychological intervention plan should be framed within the mandatory occupational health surveillance programme, and carried out by occupational physicians in cooperation with mental healthcare providers in the workplace.

scholarly journals WEAVING THERAPY AS A METHOD OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCOMPANYING OF PERSONS WITH SIGNS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

2020 ◽  
pp. 100-125
Author(s):  
Владислава Швець
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Psychological Adaptation ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

The article considers weaving therapy as a means of developing mental operations of the individual, a way to distinguish between causal relationships in the individual's behavioural reactions. A positive effect on the cognitive, design, prognostic, informational, technological, reflective, analytical functions of the client’s thinking are revealed. The influence of weaving therapy during counselling of victims of violence is considered as a method of psychological support of people with signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a type of socio-psychological adaptation of people with acute stress and PTSD. Factors influencing the process of psychosomatization and disruption of interpersonal relationships were identified.Based on the results of processing the theoretical material, a strategy of psychological support and behaviour correction by weaving therapy was formed, which includes four stages: initial interview (remote meeting) – second meeting (the focus of the psychocorrection process and concluding a contract for psychocorrectional work) – work in a training group – conducting an individual case.

scholarly journals Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers in Paraguay: A descriptive and preliminary study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
Jorge Villalba-Arias ◽  
Gladys Estigarribia ◽  
José Andrés Bogado ◽  
Julieta Méndez ◽  
Santiago Toledo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Post Traumatic

Introduction: Healthcare workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 are vulnerable to psychological distress. The goal of this study is to evaluate the psychological impact of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in Paraguay. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 5 tertiary hospitals in the Central, San Pedro and Caaguazú Departments of Paraguay during the COVID-19 pandemic from April to June 2020. The pilot study included 125 healthcare workers as participants, 25 for each hospital. Demographic data and occupational exposure data were collected with an ad-hoc questionnaire. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated employing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress was determined using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Check List-C. Results: Of the 125 participants, 68 (54.8%) were doctors, 37 (29.8) nurses, 7 (5.6%) biochemists, 3 (2.4%) obstetricians, and 9 (7.3%) other healthcare workers. Most participants were females (86 [68.8%]), with an average age of 33.8 years (SD ± 7.4), single (71 [56.8%]), with a postgraduate educational level (83 [66.4%]), and reporting a junior level of work experience (52 [41.6%]). A total of 71 (57.3%) were classified as high-risk healthcare workers after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. 61 (48.8%) of participants presented symptoms of depression, and 68 (54.4%) presented symptoms of anxiety. A small group reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress (9 [7.2%]). Conclusion: Healthcare workers in Paraguay reported a significant prevalence of depressive and anxious symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings lend support to the idea that healthcare workers are vulnerable to psychological distress and that they may require specific mental health interventions.

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