Psychological Impact of Covid-19 among Healthcare Workers in Cameroon

BACKGROUND As the pandemic evolves, frontline work challenges continue to impose significant psychological impact on nurses. However, there is a lack of data how nurses fared compared to other healthcare workers in Asia-Pacific region. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate 1) psychological differences between nurses, doctor and non-medical healthcare workers, and 2) psychological outcome characteristics of nurses from different Asia-Pacific countries. METHODS Decision-tree type machine learning models (LIghtGBM, Gradientboost, and RandomForest) were adopted to predict psychological impact on nurses. The SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values of these models were extracted to identify the distinctive psychological distress characteristic. RESULTS Nurses had relatively higher percentages of normal or no-change in psychological distress symptoms relative to other healthcare workers (86.3% - 96.8% vs 80.7% - 92.3%). Among those without psychological symptoms, nurses constituted a higher proportion than doctors and non-medical healthcare workers (40.8%, 25.8%, and 33.4%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Different contexts, cultures, and points in pandemic curve may have contributed to differing patterns of psychological outcomes amongst nurses in various Asia-Pacific countries. It is important that all healthcare workers practise self-care and render peer support to bolster psychological resilience for effective coping. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable

Download Full-text

The psychological impact of COVID-19 on ‘hidden’ frontline healthcare workers

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764020950772 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002076402095077 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Winnie Z.Y. Teo ◽

Yap Eng Soo ◽

Christina Yip ◽

Ong Lizhen ◽

Lee Chun-Tsu

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Numeric Rating Scale ◽

Depression Score ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to rising death tolls and stressed healthcare systems, resulting in an unprecedented psychological stress on healthcare workers worldwide. However, the majority of studies only accounted for frontline healthcare workers with direct patient exposure. Aim: This study aims to look at the psychological impact of COVID-19 in a specific, vulnerable and yet hidden group of healthcare workers, namely laboratory healthcare workers who are at high risk exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus from handling infected patients’ blood samples, in addition to a marked increase in workload. Method: A multicentre study was conducted in Singapore via online questionnaire looking at psychological and physical impact of COVID-19 on laboratory healthcare workers. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Numeric rating scale on fear (NRS) were validated scores used in this study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software version 23 (IBM Corp). Results: A total of 122 staffs participated and more than half of the cohort experienced mild to severe fear, anxiety and depression. Increase in depression score was also found to be associated with increased physical exhaustion (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 1.4–29.1, p = .02), loss of appetite (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.2–6.0, p = .02), poor sleep quality (OR = 7.5, 95% CI 2.9–19.4, p = .005), and the use of sedative (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.1–13.5, p = .03). Conclusions: Hence, it is imperative that prompt action needs to be taken to address the psychological needs of this vulnerable group of healthcare workers as the pandemic continues.

Download Full-text

Sense of Coherence and Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12176855 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 6855 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Juan Gómez-Salgado ◽

Sara Domínguez-Salas ◽

Macarena Romero-Martín ◽

Mónica Ortega-Moreno ◽

Juan Jesús García-Iglesias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Front Line ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Test Analysis ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Bonferroni Test

The health crisis triggered by COVID-19 and the preventive measures taken to control it have caused a strong psychological impact on the population, especially on healthcare professionals. Risk exposure, uncertainty about how to approach the disease, care and emotional overburden, lack of resources, or unclear ever-changing protocols are, among others, psychological distress risk factors for the healthcare professionals who have faced this dramatic scenario on the front line. On the other hand, the Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a competence that could help these professionals perceive the situation as understandable, manageable, and meaningful, facilitating the activation of their resilience. This work aims to describe the levels of psychological distress and SOC of healthcare professionals during the crisis caused by COVID-19, the relationship between both variables, and their health status. A cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample of 1459 currently active healthcare workers was developed. GHQ-12 and SOC-13 were used for data collection. Bivariate analyses were performed, including Chi-Squared Test, Student’s T-Test, Analysis of Variance—ANOVA (with Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons), and correlations. Cohen’s d or Cramer’s V effect size measurements were also provided. The results showed that 80.6% of healthcare professionals had psychological distress, and the mean score on the SOC-13 scale was 62.8 points (SD = 12.02). Both psychological distress and SOC were related to the presence of COVID-19 symptoms, as well as with contact history. Professionals with psychological distress showed a lower SOC. Taking care of the mental health of healthcare professionals is essential to effectively cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the psychological impact of working in the current menacing scenario, people on the front line against the disease should be protected, minimizing risks, providing them with resources and support, and fostering their coping skills.

Download Full-text

Paramedics in pandemics: protecting the mental wellness of those behind enemy lines

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.2020.193 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-2

Author(s):

Shehar Bano Awais ◽

Russell Seth Martins ◽

Muhammad Shameel Khan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Health Issues ◽

Vulnerable Group ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Mental Health Issues ◽

Mental Wellness ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽

Shed Light

Summary Besides a global health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has potential to have a severe and long-lasting psychological impact on frontline healthcare workers such as paramedics. It is imperative to shed light on these mental health issues and employ interventions to protect the mental wellness of this vulnerable group of healthcare workers.

Download Full-text

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

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044134 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

Investigation on the Loss of Taste and Smell and Consequent Psychological Effects: A Cross-Sectional Study on Healthcare Workers Who Contracted the COVID-19 Infection

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.666442 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Luisa Dudine ◽

Claudia Canaletti ◽

Fabiola Giudici ◽

Alberta Lunardelli ◽

Giulia Abram ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Semistructured Interview ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Related ◽

Olfactory Loss ◽

Taste And Smell

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between psychological distress and taste and sense of smell dysfunctions on healthcare workers (HCW) who contracted the COVID-19 infection in the midst of the disease outbreak. Reports of sudden loss of taste and smell which persist even after recovery from COVID-19 infection are increasingly recognized as critical symptoms for COVID-19 infections. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study on COVID-19 HCW (N = 104) who adhered to respond to a phone semistructured interview addressing the virus symptoms and associated psychological distress. Data were collected from June to September 2020. Findings confirm the association between experienced taste/olfactory loss and emotional distress and suggest that dysfunctions of taste and smell correlate positively with anxiety and depression. Furthermore, their psychological impact tends to persist even after the recovery from the disease, suggesting the need for appropriate psychological interventions to prevent people from developing more serious or long-lasting psychological disorders and, as far as HCW, to reduce the risk of work-related distress.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review

Jurnal Aisyah Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan ◽

10.30604/jika.v6i1.469 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 175-184

Author(s):

Victor Trismanjaya Hulu ◽

Suharni Pintamas Sinaga ◽

Achmad Rifai ◽

Frans Judea Samosir ◽

Putranto Manalu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Psychological Impact

Download Full-text