scholarly journals Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers in Ebonyi State, Southeast, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (09) ◽  
pp. 400-406
Author(s):  
Okechukwu B. Anozie ◽  
Johnbosco I. Nwafor ◽  
Ephraim I. Nwokporo ◽  
Chidi U. Esike ◽  
Richard L. Ewah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcome ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Mental Health Outcome ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
The Impact

Background: Globally, mental health issues have become one of the predominant public health concerns as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of frontline healthcare workers has not been fully described in Nigeria. Aim: To determine the mental health impact of COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors among frontline healthcare workers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Materials and methods: This was an online cross-sectional study conducted among 315 frontline healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The mental health outcome of the participants was assessed using the short form of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC-SF). Results: The prevalence of mental health outcome for different categories was 47% (n = 148) for flourishing, 28.3% (n = 89) for moderate and 24.7% (n = 78) for languishing mental health. The predictors of languishing mental health outcome were being married (OR = 3.12, 95%CI 1.67 - 4.09, p = 0.035), a physician (OR = 4.09, 95%CI 1.98 - 5.61, p = 0.002), a nurse (OR = 2.21, 95%CI 0.05 - 0.24, p < 0.001), limited access to personal protective equipment (OR = 3.25, 95%CI 1.62 - 6.22, p = 0.043) and self-isolation and quarantine due to SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 3.03, 95%CI 0.02 - 0.95, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Nigeria’s frontline healthcare workers, especially physicians and nurses, are experiencing COVID-19 related psychological distress. There is need to develop and implement interventions to reduce the impact of prolonged psychological distress on long-term mental wellbeing in healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals Experiences of frontline healthcare workers and their views about support during COVID-19 and previous pandemics: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Billings ◽  
Brian Chi Fung Ching ◽  
Vasiliki Gkofa ◽  
Talya Greene ◽  
Michael Bloomfield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Healthcare workers across the world have risen to the demands of treating COVID-19 patients, potentially at significant cost to their own health and wellbeing. There has been increasing recognition of the potential mental health impact of COVID-19 on frontline workers and calls to provide psychosocial support for them. However, little attention has so far been paid to understanding the impact of working on a pandemic from healthcare workers’ own perspectives or what their views are about support. Methods We searched key healthcare databases (Medline, PsychINFO and PubMed) from inception to September 28, 2020. We also reviewed relevant grey literature, screened pre-print servers and hand searched reference lists of key texts for all published accounts of healthcare workers’ experiences of working on the frontline and views about support during COVID-19 and previous pandemics/epidemics. We conducted a meta-synthesis of all qualitative results to synthesise findings and develop an overarching set of themes and sub-themes which captured the experiences and views of frontline healthcare workers across the studies. Results This review identified 46 qualitative studies which explored healthcare workers’ experiences and views from pandemics or epidemics including and prior to COVID-19. Meta-synthesis derived eight key themes which largely transcended temporal and geographical boundaries. Participants across all the studies were deeply concerned about their own and/or others’ physical safety. This was greatest in the early phases of pandemics and exacerbated by inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), insufficient resources, and inconsistent information. Workers struggled with high workloads and long shifts and desired adequate rest and recovery. Many experienced stigma. Healthcare workers’ relationships with families, colleagues, organisations, media and the wider public were complicated and could be experienced concomitantly as sources of support but also sources of stress. Conclusions The experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are not unprecedented; the themes that arose from previous pandemics and epidemics were remarkably resonant with what we are hearing about the impact of COVID-19 globally today. We have an opportunity to learn from the lessons of previous crises, mitigate the negative mental health impact of COVID-19 and support the longer-term wellbeing of the healthcare workforce worldwide.

scholarly journals Healthcare workers’ experiences of working on the frontline and views about support during COVID-19 and comparable pandemics: A rapid review and meta-synthesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Billings ◽  
Brian Chi Fung Ching ◽  
Vasiliki Gkofa ◽  
Talya Greene ◽  
Michael Bloomfield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Healthcare Workforce ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHealthcare workers across the world have risen to the demands of treating COVID-19 patients, potentially at significant cost to their own health and wellbeing. There has been increasing recognition of the potential mental health impact of COVID-19 on frontline healthcare workers and growing calls to provide psychosocial support for them. However, little attention has so far been paid to understanding the impact of working on a pandemic from healthcare workers’ own perspectives or what their views are about support. This rapid review identified 40 qualitative studies which have explored healthcare workers’ experiences and views from previous pandemics, including and comparable to COVID-19. Meta-synthesis of this qualitative data using thematic analysis derived eight key themes which transcended pandemics, time, and geographical boundaries. This pandemic is not unprecedented; the themes that arose from previous pandemics were remarkably resonant with what we are hearing about the impact of COVID-19 globally today. We have an opportunity to learn from the lessons of these previous pandemics, mitigate the negative mental health impact of COVID-19 and support the longer-term wellbeing of the healthcare workforce worldwide.

scholarly journals Healthcare Workers’ Experiences of Working on the Frontline and Views About Support During COVID-19 and Previous Pandemics: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Meta-Synthesis 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Billings ◽  
Brian Chi Fung Ching ◽  
Vasiliki Gkofa ◽  
Talya Greene ◽  
Michael Bloomfield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Healthcare workers across the world have risen to the demands of treating COVID-19 patients, potentially at significant cost to their own health and wellbeing. There has been increasing recognition of the potential mental health impact of COVID-19 on frontline workers and calls to provide psychosocial support for them. However, little attention has so far been paid to understanding the impact of working on a pandemic from healthcare workers’ own perspectives or what their views are about support. Methods: We searched key healthcare databases (Medline, PsychINFO and PubMed), reviewed relevant grey literature, screened pre-print servers and hand searched reference lists of key texts for all published accounts of healthcare workers’ experiences of working on the frontline and views about support during COVID-19 and previous pandemics/epidemics. Final searches took place on September 28, 2020. We conducted a meta-synthesis of all qualitative results to synthesise findings and develop an overarching set of themes and sub-themes which captured the experiences and views of frontline healthcare workers across the studies. Results: This review identified 46 qualitative studies which explored healthcare workers’ experiences and views from pandemics or epidemics including and prior to COVID-19. Meta-synthesis derived eight key themes which largely transcended temporal and geographical boundaries. Participants across all the studies were deeply concerned about their own and/or others’ physical safety. This was greatest in the early phases of pandemics and exacerbated by inadequate PPE, insufficient resources, and inconsistent information. Workers struggled with high workloads and long shifts and desired adequate rest and recovery. Many experienced stigma. Healthcare workers’ relationships with families, colleagues, organisations, media and the wider public were complicated and nuanced and could be experienced concomitantly as sources of support but also sources of stress. Conclusions: The experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are not unprecedented; the themes that arose from previous pandemics and epidemics were remarkably resonant with what we are hearing about the impact of COVID-19 globally today. We have an opportunity to learn from the lessons of these previous crises, mitigate the negative mental health impact of COVID-19 and support the longer-term wellbeing of the healthcare workforce worldwide.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers in different regions of the world

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S258-S258
Author(s):  
Mahfuja Islam ◽  
Philip George ◽  
Sindhu Sankaran ◽  
Janet Leu Su Hui ◽  
Tzun Kit
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

AimsThe global health system is facing a serious challenge after the recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus infection which was first identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. There is a wide consensus that this pandemic has negative psychosocial consequences as well as unforeseeable provision of mental health care services and just not on physical health alone. The aim of this research study is to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify the sociodemographic variables with the main attributable factors associated with the psychological distress among healthcare workers and suggestions on how to reduce the impact on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study from September-November 2020. We used a self-administered survey tool which was distributed electronically to healthcare workers across the globe. The data were stored on an online database with password protected devices where survey responses were restricted to investigators exclusively.Data collected were: 1) Socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, role in the healthcare, region of practice); 2) Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire which contains 22 standardized items. This is a subjective assessment to score the degree of psychological well-being by focusing on 6 domains: depression; anxiety; positive-well-being; self-control; vitality and general health; 3) Subjective assessment from respondents of the main attributable factors causing psychological distress and suggested methods to help reduce the impact on mental health on health care workers.ResultMajority out of the 217 respondents were from a younger age group; females and married/domestic partnership, mainly from Western Pacific Region, South East Asian and the African Region. More than half the respondents were moderate-severely psychologically distressed and the three main attributable factors causing psychological distress were: fear of family/friends contracting COVID-19 followed by lack of PPE and discomfort caused by wearing PPE for long hours. Respondents suggested that the distress would be reduced if: more resources were provided in hospital; protocols and guidelines were implemented and counselling facilities with recreational activities were available to frontline workers.ConclusionThis study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers and more support or strategies need to come in place to protect frontline workers at the time of crises.

First the Pandemic then the Tsunami: COVID-19 and Its Impact on Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Chuan SOH ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Behavioural Patterns

Introduction: COVID-19 has undeniably and profoundly impacted everyday lives of the general public. One particular emphasis is the mental wellbeing of populations. This review serves to examine the mental health impact of the current pandemic. Methods: A review of the literature on PubMed was conducted, drawing from systematic reviews and large population studies about mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The content was synthesized with the writer’s experience of daily life across different perspectives. Certain demographic sub-groups were examined, such as those under home quarantine or isolation, those who had contracted COVID-19, those with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, as well as healthcare workers and medical students. Results: Psychological well-being was adversely affected by the pandemic, although there is some controversy about the magnitude of this impact which is likely in relation to the timeline of the pandemic’s progression. Behavioural patterns such as spending habits during lockdowns might provide an early indication of mental health problems. Those who had contracted COVID-19 were found to have heightened levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive symptoms. Healthcare workers and medical students have faced comparable levels of anxiety, depressed mood and insomnia. The final results of some of the systematic reviews are still pending. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted everyday life. If not already thecase, there is likely to be an anticipated tsunami of mental health concerns. This wouldmake a strong case for the anticipatory need of increased resource allocation to allowmental health services to meet this demand.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers in different regions of the world

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S258-S259
Author(s):  
Mahfuja Islam ◽  
Philip George ◽  
Sindhu Sankaran ◽  
Janet Leu Su Hui ◽  
Tzun Kit
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

AimsThe global health system is facing a serious challenge after the recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus infection which was first identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. There is a wide consensus that this pandemic has negative psychosocial consequences as well as unforeseeable provision of mental health care services and just not on physical health alone. The aim of this research study is to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify the sociodemographic variables with the main attributable factors associated with the psychological distress among healthcare workers and suggestions on how to reduce the impact on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study from September-November 2020. We used a self-administered survey tool which was distributed electronically to healthcare workers across the globe. The data were stored on an online database with password protected devices where survey responses were restricted to investigators exclusively.Data collected were: 1) Socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, role in the healthcare, region of practice); 2) Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire which contains 22 standardized items. This is a subjective assessment to score the degree of psychological well-being by focusing on 6 domains: depression; anxiety; positive-well-being; self-control; vitality and general health; 3) Subjective assessment from respondents of the main attributable factors causing psychological distress and suggested methods to help reduce the impact on mental health on health care workers.ResultMajority out of the 217 respondents were from a younger age group; females and married/domestic partnership, mainly from Western Pacific Region, South East Asian and the African Region. More than half the respondents were moderate-severely psychologically distressed and the three main attributable factors causing psychological distress were: fear of family/friends contracting COVID-19 followed by lack of PPE and discomfort caused by wearing PPE for long hours. Respondents suggested that the distress would be reduced if: more resources were provided in hospital; protocols and guidelines were implemented and counselling facilities with recreational activities were available to frontline workers.ConclusionThis study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers and more support or strategies need to come in place to protect frontline workers at the time of crises.

scholarly journals The impact of leprosy on the mental wellbeing of leprosy-affected persons and their family members – a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
PMW Somar ◽  
MM Waltz ◽  
WH van Brakel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Leprosy has long-term consequences related to impairment and stigma. This includes a major impact on mental health. This study aims to consolidate current evidence regarding the mental health impact of leprosy on affected persons and their family members. In addition, determinants influencing mental health outcomes among leprosy-affected persons and effective interventions are examined. A keyword-based search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Infolep and InfoNTD; additional literature was also considered. Articles presenting primary data involving leprosy-affected persons or their family members experiencing mental conditions were included. Independent extraction of articles was executed using predefined data fields. Articles were sorted according to relevance. In total, 65 studies were included in this systematic review. Multiple psychiatric morbidities have been identified among leprosy-affected persons, including depression, anxiety disorders and suicide (attempts). Additional factors were found that may impact mental health. Moreover, studies found that demographic factors, lifestyle and disease-specific factors and stigma and discrimination impact mental health. Depressive symptoms and low self-esteem were identified among children of leprosy-affected persons. In addition, interventions were identified that could improve the mental wellbeing of leprosy patients. Depressive disorders and anxiety disorders were found to be very common among persons affected by leprosy. Feelings such as fear, shame and low self-esteem are also experienced by those affected, and their children. Further research is necessary to ensure that mental health impact is included when determining the burden of disease for leprosy, and to relieve this burden.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of UK healthcare workers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Gilleen ◽  
Aida Santaolalla ◽  
Lorena Valdearenas ◽  
Clara Salice ◽  
Montserrat Fusté
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Controllable Factors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundThere is an urgent need to understand the psychological impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on UK healthcare workers (HCW).AimsTo reveal risk and protective factors associated with poor mental wellbeing of HCW working during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.Method2773 UK HCWs completed a survey between 22ndApril and 10th May 2020 containing scales measuring anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress, and questions about roles and COVID-19-related factors including workplace preparation and risk management. Respondents were classified as high or low symptomatic on each mental health scale and logistic regression revealed risk and protective factors associated with each outcome. Change in wellbeing from pre to during COVID-19 was also quantified.ResultsA large proportion of UK HCW had high mental health symptoms. ‘Fixed’ risk factors of poor mental health included being female, being ‘frontline’, pre-existing mental health diagnoses, and experience of stressful/traumatic events. An additional set of ‘controllable’ factors also significantly increased risk: PPE availability, workload, lack of COVID-19 preparation and training, and insufficient communication of clinical procedures. Resilience and sharing stress reduced risk, as did ethical support for those making treatment decisions. Allied HCW and managers were at elevated risk of high symptoms particularly PTSD. Wellbeing, especially of frontline workers, had significantly worsened compared to before COVID-19.ConclusionsPoor mental wellbeing was prevalent in HCW during the UK COVID-19 response. A number of controllable factors should be targeted, and protective factors promoted, to reduce the detrimental effect of COVID-19 and other pandemics on HCW mental health.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document