scholarly journals Death and Mourning Process in Frontline Health Care Professionals and Their Families During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreeja Das ◽  
Tushar Singh ◽  
Rahul Varma ◽  
Yogesh Kumar Arya
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Personal Protection Equipment ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mourning Process

The COVID-19 epidemic has mushroomed globally, disrupting the existence of millions. Under this current pandemic situation, the frontline health care professionals are looped in the clutch of the virus and are relatively more exposed to the patients infected with the disease. In this precarious situation, the frontline health care professionals have contributed their best to provide utmost care to the patients infected with the ailment. The direct involvement of these professionals, however, has taken a toll on their physical health as well as on their mental well-being. Several studies conducted recently have reported that frontline health care workers engaged in direct diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19 are associated with a higher risk of symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues. Lack of personal protection equipment, unreasonable amounts of work, improper medicines, fear of contracting the disease, and lack of skilled training have interposed the frontline health care workers with unimaginable stress. Due to the widespread outbreak, the death count of the frontline health care professionals has also surged. However, studies exploring the physical and mental welfare of the frontline health care professionals and their families are very few and far behind. To address this aperture, the present paper attempts to highlight the psychological and physical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline health care professions and to understand the impact of the death of these frontline health care professionals on the psychological well-being, mourning process, and complicated grief among the family members of healthcare professionals. The paper also presents some recommendations for providing psychological support to healthcare professionals and their bereaved families.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on mental health of healthcare professionals in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 23-27
Author(s):  
Robin Bhattarai ◽  
Joshila Chanu Yumnam ◽  
Kishor Chhantyal ◽  
Karuna Rai ◽  
Manoj Kumar Chaudhary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

Given the unprecedented global public health crisis due to the covid-19 pandemic, it is important to recognize the psychological impact on health care professionals. Previous experiences from the smaller scale epidemiology and new literature on COVID-19 have shown that increased pressure on healthcare professionals is associated with rise in the psychological incidence rates. We have described the psychological burden of the covid-19 pandemic on health care workers in Nepal and reviewed the literature on the impact of previous epidemics on front-line health care workers. In addition, we discussed potential triggers and measures to minimize the front-line psychological pressure to deal with this biological threat.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Versha Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Mental Condition ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Personal Protection Equipment ◽  
The Impact

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has heavily burdened, and in many cases overwhelmed, healthcare systems including healthcare workers. The novel COVID-19 started from Wuhan in mainland China. Since then it has affected most of the nations and continents because of its rapid spread. Most commonly affected are the healthcare professionals who are working on the frontline. The COVID-19 epidemic has mushroomed globally, disrupting the existence of millions It is a generalized mental condition occurring without any trigger or stimulus. Various symptoms of depression are: anxious, sad and empty feelings, hopelessness, guilt and may be sense of helplessness, restless attitude, irritation, and lack of interest in various hobbies and activities and were once considered relax able and which are used to provide pleasure. Furthermore, healthcare workers reported mental health problems putatively associated with healthcare workers’ occupational activities during and up until years after epidemics, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress, burnout, depression and anxiety. As for lack of material, a high percentage of professionals are getting infected for not having adequate personal protection equipment (PPE) and not using it properly, having to re-use in many occasions equipment which is only recommended for one-time utilization. During work performed by healthcare workers, several pressure elements from different sources may impact on keeping optimal conditions for a healthy working environment, and because of the saturation of the sanitary facilities due to the high level of virus infection, the health of these professionals has been obviously affected. While the main focus is concentrated on laboratory testing, finding the disease cure and prevention of transmission, all individuals are undergoing a plethora of psychological problems while adjusting to current lifestyles and disease fear. In current study, an attempt has been made to find out the impact of this pandemic situation on psychological well-being of healthcare and non-healthcare workers. Our study has reported identical findings to those reported by numerous investigators working across the globe. The present paper has outlined the stressors which the frontline health care professionals have faced including fear of spreading disease to co-workers and members of the family, irregular sleep patterns, abrupt work cycles, and lack of adequate training skills in dealing with such a novel situation.

scholarly journals Risk Perception and Worries among Health Care Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from an Italian Survey

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Mariangela Valentina Puci ◽  
Guido Nosari ◽  
Federica Loi ◽  
Giulia Virginia Puci ◽  
Cristina Montomoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Workers

The ongoing pandemic scenario, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has had a considerable impact on public health all over the world. Italy was one of the most affected countries, as the first European full-blown outbreak occurred there. The exposure of the Italian health care workers to COVID-19 may be an important risk factor for psychological distress. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe worries and risk perception of being infected among Italian Health Care Workers (HCWs) during the first wave of the pandemic. In total, 2078 HCWs participated in a web survey (78.8% were females). The highest percentage of respondents were physicians (40.75%) and nurses (32.15%), followed by medical (18.00%), health care support (4.50%) and administrative (4.60%) staff. In a score range between 0 (not worried) and 4 (very worried), our results showed that participants declared that they were worried about the Coronavirus infection with a median score of 3 (IQR 2-3) and for 59.19% the risk perception of being infected was very high. In addition, HCWs reported they suffered from sleep disturbances (63.43%). From the analysis of the psychological aspect, a possible divergence emerged between the perceived need for psychological support (83.85%) and the relative lack of this service among health care providers emerged (9.38%). Our findings highlight the importance of psychological and psychiatric support services not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) scenarios. These services may be useful for health authorities and policymakers to ensure the psychological well-being of health care professionals and to promote precautionary behaviors among them.

scholarly journals The impact of night work on subjective reports of well-being: an exploratory study of health care workers from five nations

2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (suppl) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald I Tepas ◽  
Janet L Barnes-Farrell ◽  
Natalia Bobko ◽  
Frida M Fischer ◽  
Irena Iskra-Golec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Night Shift ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Worker Perceptions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Subjective Reports

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a survey data collection from health care workers in Brazil, Croatia, Poland, Ukraine and the USA with two primary goals: (1) to provide information about which aspects of well-being are most likely to need attention when shiftwork management solutions are being developed, and (2) to explore whether nations are likely to differ with respect to the impacts of night work on the well-being of workers involved in health care work. METHODS: The respondents from each nation were sorted into night worker and non-night worker groups. Worker perceptions of being physically tired, mentally tired, and tense at the end of the workday were examined. Subjective reports of perceived felt age were also studied. For each of these four dependent variables, an ANCOVA analysis was carried out. Hours worked per week, stability of weekly work schedule, and chronological age were the covariates for these analyses. RESULTS: The results clearly support the general proposal that nations differ significantly in worker perceptions of well-being. In addition, perceptions of physical and mental tiredness at the end of the workday were higher for night workers. For the perception of being physically tired at the end of a workday, the manner and degree to which the night shift impacts the workers varies by nation. CONCLUSIONS: Additional research is needed to determine if the nation and work schedule differences observed are related to differences in job tasks, work schedule structure, off-the-job variables, and/or other worker demographic variables.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Outbreak in a Hemodialysis Center: A Retrospective Monocentric Case Series

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205435812094429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Mazzoleni ◽  
Chadi Ghafari ◽  
Fabienne Mestrez ◽  
Roxana Sava ◽  
Elena Bivoleanu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Clinical Course ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
The Impact

Background: The rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 has posed a serious threat to patients treated with kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Moreover, the impact of the disease on hemodialysis centers, the patients, and the health care workers is still not completely understood. Objective: We present the analysis of a COVID-19 outbreak in a hemodialysis center in Belgium and report the incidence, clinical course, and outcome of the disease. Design: A retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: A hemodialysis center during the COVID-19 outbreak. Patients: A total of 62 patients on maintenance hemodialysis at a tertiary care center in Belgium attended by 26 health care workers. Measurements: Baseline patients’ characteristics were retrieved. The incidence, clinical course, and outcome were reported. The differences between COVID-19 survivors and nonsurvivors were assessed along with the differences between COVID-19-hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients. The incidence of the disease and outcome of health care workers were also reported. Methods: Proportions for categorical variables were compared using the Fisher exact test and χ2. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to compare continuous variables. Univariate analysis and a binomial logistic regression were used to explore variables as predictors of death. Results: Between March 6 and April 14, 2020, 40 of 62 (65%) patients tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome beta coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) along with 18 of 26 (69%) health care professionals. Twenty-five (63%) of the infected patients were hospitalized with a median time for hospitalization-to-discharge of 8 (interquartile range [IQR] = 4-12) days. Eleven (28%) COVID-19-related deaths were recorded with a median time for onset of symptoms-to-death of 9 (IQR = 5-14) days. Lymphocytopenia was prevalent among the cohort and was found in 9 of 11 (82%) reported deaths ( P = .4). There was no influence of the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers on COVID-19-related deaths ( P = .3). Advanced age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were all found to be significantly related to death. Of the 18 infected health care professionals, 13 (72%) were symptomatic and 2 (11%) were hospitalized. There was no reported death among the health care workers. Limitations: Limited follow-up time compared with the course of the disease along with a small sample size. Conclusions: Patients treated with KRT show a high mortality rate secondary to COVID-19. CVD and age are shown to impact survival. Proactive measures must be taken to prevent the spread of the virus in such facilities. Trial Registration: Not applicable as this is a retrospective study.

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Status and Factors Influencing Negative Mental Health among Health-Care Workers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fatma AlGhufli ◽  
Rayyan AlMulla ◽  
Ola Alyedi ◽  
Sham Zain AlAbdin ◽  
Mohammed Moutaz Nakhal
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Aim:</i></b> This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychological health outcomes and associated factors among health-care workers (HCWs) during COVID-19 pandemic. <b><i>Subject and Methods:</i></b> This observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 550 HCWs at 4 different clinics (fever, clean, telemedicine, and mixed clinics) in Dubai Health Authority from July 2020 to September 2020. Severity of depression, anxiety, and stress was examined by calculating the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) for each subscale, while insomnia was determined by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score. Factors associated with psychological symptoms were identified by univariate (ANOVA and independent <i>t</i> test), and independent factors were detected by multivariate linear regression analysis after controlling other variables. <i>p</i> value of &#x3c;0.05 was considered with significant results. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 400 participants completed the survey. Majority of them were females (84.5%, <i>n</i> = 338) and aged between 18 and 31 (53.5%, <i>n</i> = 214). About 76.5% (<i>n</i> = 306) reported symptoms of depression, 315 (78.8%) anxiety, 254 (63.5%) stress-based, and 187 (46.8%) suffered from clinical insomnia. Frontline HCWs at fever clinic were at higher risk of developing burnout symptoms (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Furthermore, being younger, nonmarried, and nurse had no kids and changed accommodation during the crisis; all together were at higher risk of developing burnout symptoms (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). Adjusted linear regression showed that age was the major independent factor affecting DASS-21 subscales without affecting the level of insomnia (&#x3c;0.01). In addition, being worried about the family and loved ones independently influenced higher levels of depression and anxiety-based (&#x3c;0.001). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study revealed that COVID-19 outbreak has a significant psychological impact on frontline HCWs and the most vulnerable groups to psychological distress. Efficient support and interventions are needed to protect HCWs from being infected and promote their well-being.

scholarly journals Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Nepali Health Care Workers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (238) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishwor Sharma ◽  
Anurag Misra ◽  
Bipin Kumar Shrestha ◽  
Arun Kumar Koirala ◽  
Anita Banjade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Studies among health care workers from different part of world during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic have reported substantial impact on their physical, mental and emotional well-being. This study measured the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the mental health of Nepali healthcare workers in different parts of the world during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out from December 25, 2020 to Jan 25, 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (reference number: 372). Online questionnaire including demographic profiles and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 instrument were sent to Nepali healthcare workers around the world through social media apps using convenience sampling. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel for Mac version 16.49 and analysed. Results: Among 208 who participated in the study, 62 (30%) participants were positive for anxiety, 47 (22.5%) for depression and 25 (12%) for stress. Higher prevalence of depression 18 (30%) and stress 10 (17%) was found in nurses compared to paramedics, among whom depression was seen in 5 (20%) and stress in 4 (16%). Among doctors, depression was found in 24 (19%) and stress in 11 (9%). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a high proportion of healthcare workers were suffering from depression, anxiety and stress. Our findings are similar to the data from other national and international studies.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid- 19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being of Health Care Workers: A Multicenter Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1297-1306
Author(s):  
Nabila Hassan ◽  
Hina Akmal Memon ◽  
Noreen Hassan ◽  
Shobha Luxmi ◽  
Farhat Sultana
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

The study determines the effect of fear of being infected on anxiety and influence of anxiety on the disturbance of their mental well-being and to analyze the indirect effect of anxiety between fear of being infected and mental well-being. Cross-Sectional study carried out in the months of November –December 2020, by conducting a survey from health care workers (Doctors, Nurses and Trainees) covering hospitals from the region of Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Karachi. Analysis of the data done using two-step method of Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach. The findings of the study supported the positive and negative relationship fear of being infected to anxiety and anxiety to mental wellbeing respectively. In addition, the indirect relationship of anxiety also supported. Numerous unanswered queries pertinent to COVID-19 pandemic, and dubious situation leads towards huge size of disturbance in the lives of health care workers across the globe, therefore literature entails the necessity for researchers to study various factors that could have influence on mental well-being of an individual . The majority of relevant literature focused on mental well-being is from China, Europe, USA and other developed countries, however, fewer studies focused on South Asian region in general, and Pakistan in particular. So, present study fills the gap to unearth the factors of well-being for Pakistani health care workers. Pakistan have so far lost the lives of 58 healthcare providers to COVID-19 in the country and still counting while 240 healthcare providers are hospitalized. So there is intense need to study effect of mental well-being on health care workers as there is a need to save the survivors.

scholarly journals Estimation of Prevalence and Comparing the Levels of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Impact Before and After COVID-19 Lockdown Among Front Line Health Care Workers

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 237437352110698
Author(s):  
Sri Lakshmi Latha ◽  
Tina Priscilla ◽  
Sree Sudha TY ◽  
Ch. Saritha ◽  
Ashok Alimchandani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Front Desk ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
The Impact

The main objective of the study is to estimate the prevalence and compare the levels of psychological impact, anxiety, depression, and stress experienced by the frontline health care workers (HCWs) during the lockdown and post lockdown periods at Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Hyderabad, India. All participants involved in the study were evaluated by using depression, anxiety and stress scale 21, the impact of event scale revised scale for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a standardized questionnaire. During the lockdown period, the score for depression was observed mean scores to be more in front desk people (2.70) followed by pharmacists and technicians (2.60) and security (2.28) in the lockdown period. During the lockdown, the highest levels of anxiety were seen in security staff (4.72) and housekeeping (4.8), with a considerable increase after the lockdown situation. During the lockdown period, the mean score of pharmacists and technicians (10.33) were more stressed than other HCWs, and the second-highest levels of stress were observed in security (10.11) and front desk workers (10.09), respectively. Our results show that there was a worsening of the psychological impact of the pandemic and an increase in PTSD, stress, anxiety, and depression among HCWs. Female gender, pharmacists, and technicians were the most vulnerable group to develop psychiatric comorbidities.

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