Fragile heroes. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-care workers in Italy

This survey-based study aimed to explore the mental health status and psychological care needs of 933 health-care workers in Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak. Sociodemographic data, exposure to COVID-19, perception of psychological care needs, depression, anxiety, somatization, and post-traumatic symptoms were concurrently assessed. The majority of the sample (71%) suffered from somatization and 55% of distress. Female care workers experienced higher levels of anxiety (d = 0.50) and somatization symptoms (d = 0.82) and stated they needed psychological care more than men (p < .001). Younger participants (aged <40 years-old) reported higher levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic symptoms (effects size range from d = 0.22 to d = 0.31). Working in a high infected area (red-zones) and directly with COVID-19 patients (front-line) affected the psychological health of participants to a smaller degree. Health-care workers who lost one of their patients reported higher levels of depression (d = 0.22), anxiety (d = 0.19), post-traumatic symptoms (d = 0.30), and psychological care needs than those who did not have the same experience (p < .01). Health-care workers who perceived the need for psychological support scored above the clinical alarming level (cut-off scores) in all the psychological scales, ranging from 76% to 88%. Psychological distress (p < .01), anxiety (p < .05), depression (p < .05), and being women (p < .01) contribute to explain the need for psychological care and accounted for 32% of the variance in this sample. These findings point out the importance to consider the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Italian health-care workers and strongly suggest establishing psychological support services for providing adequate professional care.

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Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers: A Cross Sectional Study

BioMedica ◽

10.51441/biomedica//biomedica/5-410 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (2S) ◽

pp. 223-227

Author(s):

Zaina Jabeen ◽

Aysha Rani ◽

Sohaib Ahmed ◽

Sadaf Ghaffar ◽

Tazaeen Hina Kazmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ethical Review ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Background and Objective: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected more than four million people in 213 countries. Health care workers (HCWs) who deal with COVID-19 patients have a high chance of getting infected. They have got valid concerns regarding their own health as well as the impact it can have on the wellbeing of their family and acquaintances. The current study aims to assess the prevalence of psychological problems among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs of Wah Medical College and Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Hospital Wah Cantt from 1st May 2020 to 7th May 2020 after an ethical approval by ethical review board. A total of 340 HCWs participated by filling an online questionairre; questions on demographic profile and validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) score were included. Frequency of depression, anxiety and stress and mean DASS-21 scores between house officers and all other healthcare workers and between Medicine and allied department and other departments was assessed. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 340 HCWs majority i.e. 66.8% were less than 35 years of age and the mean age of participants was 40.65 ± 11.64 years. There was a female proponderance with a F:M ratio of 1.7:1. Most (55.3%) of the participants were single and there was a high percentage of house officers with 45% among all. The overall prevalence of depressiom, anxiety and stress among all HCWs was 32.9%, 25% and 23.5% respectively. The depression, anxiety and stress among house officers than other HCWs and higher prevalence in Medicine and Allied Departments than other departments. Conclusion: As the global threat of COVID-19 continues to emerge, it is important not to underestimate the psychological impact of this pandemic on HCWs. Interventions and support to especially vulnerable groups of HCWs will help improve psychological health, which in turn will help improve the quality of patient care.

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COVID 19 and Psychological Impact across Lifespan

PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICAL RESEARCH - 2 ◽

10.47799//pimr.0802.03 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sanjay Kumar Nadigapu Dayanand

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Human Beings ◽

Good Mental Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Individual

COVID-19 the present pandemic like all pandemics puts a strain on both the individual and the community. Human beings are social animals; they need interactions with other human beings in order to maintain good mental health, the present pandemic put a restriction on interactions between people in the form of social distancing, wearing of masks, use of sanitizers and soap and water, which are essential to control the spread of the corona virus but the flip side, it has reduced the family gatherings, going out for restaurants, factors to a great extent that will have impact on psychological health. Health infrastructure and health services across the globe are under enormous pressure and face unprecedented challenges. Medical professionals, health care workers, scientists and other front line workers are on the forefront on one hand they are providing health care to the Covid 19 affected patients and the other hand, building systemic responses both by dissemination of adequate public health approaches, and in parallel, genetic mapping, drug and vaccine development. Every day millions are being infected and thousands have died. This pandemic has put all aspects of normal life on hold. In this scenario mental health care takes a back seat to life or death decisions made by the exhausted health care workers.1

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Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Workers in Morocco: Results of a Cross Sectional Survey .

Journal of Medical and Surgical Research ◽

10.46327/msrjg.1.000000000000190 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 909-916

Author(s):

Bouchra Oneib ◽

Mohammed Hasnaoui

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Care Workers ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Negative Feelings ◽

Post Traumatic Disorder

Background : This study aims to assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular stress, depression, and Post-traumatic disorder, among health care workers in Oujda. Methods:We conducted a survey among 85 health care workers by using a google form questionnaire, during three months (from to). We assessed the work condition, fears, negative emotions, relationships, lifestyle, and coping of medical staff. We also evaluated stress, depression, and post- traumatic stress disorder through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The World Health Organization- Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and Primary Care-Post Traumatic Disorder. Results: 65.8% work in front-line, and did between 4 to 15 shifts per month. 71.1% are in fear of COVID-19 infection. 97.6% are afraid to transmit the virus to relatives. More than two-thirds of responders describe negative feelings and exhaustion. 49.4% had a low level of well-being and probably depressed. 67% presented high perceived stress. Anxiety and depression were associated with fears, negative feelings, previous psychiatric disorder, poor sleep, and lack of family support. Conclusion: Our current study showed the high prevalence of depression and perceived stress among medical staff, hence the need to accompany and support all health workers. Keywords: COVID -19 impact; pandemic, Depression; Health care workers; Morocco. Perceived stress; style life.

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COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6076

Author(s):

Hasan S. Alamri ◽

Wesam F. Mousa ◽

Abdullah Algarni ◽

Shehata F. Megahid ◽

Ali Al Bshabshe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

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Psychological impact of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak on health care workers in a medium size regional general hospital in Singapore

Occupational Medicine ◽

10.1093/occmed/kqh027 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 190-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 144

Author(s):

A. O. M. Chan

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

General Hospital ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Medium Size ◽

Care Workers

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Initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ecuadorian Healthcare Providers’ self-reported anxiety

Práctica Familiar Rural ◽

10.23936/pfr.v6i2.201 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Gabriella Gaus Hinojosa

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Psychological Consequences ◽

Care Providers ◽

Explanatory Factors ◽

Care Workers

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador was one of the countries most impacted globally. High instances of corruption, widespread COVID-19 fatalities and cases, and a strained health care system impacted Ecuadorian healthcare providers’ occupational responsibilities and environment. The psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ecuadorian healthcare providers are limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ecuadorian health care providers’ anxiety. A nationwide survey of 293 physicians, nurses, and health care workers in Ecuador was conducted to understand their self-reported anxiety as measured by the Zung self-reported anxiety scale. Our findings suggest the overall mean sample score (M = 39.14, SD = 8.17) was just under the clinical anxiety threshold. Additionally, a majority (63%, n = 114) of the sample appeared to meet the clinical threshold for anxiety highlighting the significant psychological toll of the COVID-19 crisis on health care workers. Explanatory factors and future policy and research recommendations are discussed.

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The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.626547 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ping Sun ◽

Manli Wang ◽

Tingting Song ◽

Yan Wu ◽

Jinglu Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

General Mental Health ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Care Workers ◽

Prevalence Of Depression ◽

Great Stress

Objective: The COVID-19 epidemic has generated great stress throughout healthcare workers (HCWs). The situation of HCWs should be fully and timely understood. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers.Method: We searched the original literatures published from 1 Nov 2019 to 20 Sep 2020 in electronic databases of PUBMED, EMBASE and WEB OF SCIENCE. Forty-seven studies were included in the meta-analysis with a combined total of 81,277 participants.Results: The pooled prevalence of anxiety is 37% (95% CI 0.31–0.42, I2 = 99.9%) from 44 studies. Depression is estimated in 39 studies, and the pooled prevalence of depression is 36% (95% CI 0.31–0.41, I2 = 99.6%). There are 10 studies reported the prevalence of insomnia, and the overall prevalence of insomnia is 32% (95% CI 0.23–0.42, I2 = 99.5%). The subgroup analysis showed a higher incidence of anxiety and depression among women and the frontline HCWs compared to men and non-frontline HCWs respectively.Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused heavy psychological impact among healthcare professionals especially women and frontline workers. Timely psychological counseling and intervention ought to be implemented for HCWs in order to alleviate their anxiety and improve their general mental health.

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Psychological Assistance to Health Care Workers in the Conditions of Re-Profiling the Federal Hospital to Treat Patients with COVID-19

Journal of restorative medicine and rehabilitation ◽

10.38025/2078-1962-2020-98-4-99-108 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

pp. 99-108

Author(s):

M.A. Shurupova ◽

R.A. Abdurahmanov ◽

L.I. Esejkina ◽

T.V. Kutejnikova ◽

D.A. Popova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Work Organization ◽

Emergency Situation ◽

Psychological Support ◽

Emotional Impact ◽

Psychological Service ◽

Care Workers ◽

Psychological Difficulties ◽

Psychological Assistance

In addition to physical mortality, the COVID-19 pandemic has a broad psychosocial and emotional impact on all population groups. Medical workers in the hospitals are experiencing unprecedented physical and psychological difficulties. Guided by the principles of providing professional psychological assistance to health care workers and based on the analysis of international experience, the “FCBN” of the FMBA of Russia organized several forms of psychological support. The purpose of this study was to investigate the methods and results of psychological support to health care workers during the period of re-profiling hospital for patients with COVID-19. The study sample includes 578 employees of the “FCBN” of the FMBA of Russia, covered during a weekly call; 25 of them participated in "social questionnaire"; 33 people completed the MBI and GAD-7 questionnaires; more than 30 people received personal or distant consultations. The results of questionnaires show that employees reacted to the new conditions adequately. The average values of indicators on the scales "emotional exhaustion" and "depersonalization" for the group fell within the normal range for medical workers in Russia. Investigation of effectiveness of different psychological methods shows that for supporting health care workers in the new condition, the most effective were personal consultations, and to identify the actual problems of work organization and building vertical communication between staff and management – weekly calls and ≪social questionnaire≫. In conclusion, our experience has shown the importance of maintaining the functioning of psychological service to help health care workers in an emergency situation for the health system.

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