Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have a great impact on mental health outcomes of adults. However, little is known whether ACE may act as modulators of the mental health of health professionals caring for patients with COVID-19.Methods: Data were collected through an online cross-sectional survey administered to health professionals in Lima (Peru) between May and July 2020. The survey included standardized self-assessment instruments for anxiety, depression, acute stress (AS) and history of ACE.Results: A total of 542 health professionals completed the survey. Caring for patients with COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression and anxiety and when caring for patients with COVID-19 was combined with a history of early sexual abuse, its effect on the risk of anxiety increased (OR = 7.71, p = .010). Mental health problems were associated with female gender in almost all the analyses and with the majority of ACEs.Conclusions: Health workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a high risk of mental health disorders. Antecedents of sexual abuse acted as a potentiating factor of anxiety in professionals providing COVID-19 care. These findings suggest that the burden of ACE modulates mental health problems in health professionals during the pandemic.

Background The health emergency caused by COVID‐19 revealed the shortcomings of health services (HS), but little is known about how this has impacted the mental health of health professionals (HP). Methods Data were collected through an online survey administered to HP in Lima (Peru) between May and July 2020. Instruments were applied to evaluate anxiety, depression, perceived stress (PS), and perceived quality of health services (PQHS). Results A total of 507 HP completed the survey. In the multivariate analysis, younger age and female gender were related to anxiety, depression, and PS (all with p < .001). The most relevant unfavorable PQHS associated with anxiety were competence of other HP to care for HP if infected (p = .002) and support for HP or their families in the event of becoming infected (p = .001); the most relevant unfavorable PHQS associated with depression were equipment to care for HP and their families if infected (p = .003); support for HP or their families if infected (p < .001); fear of HP and/or family members being infected or dying (p = .006); and HP’ recognition of their competencies (p < .001); and the most relevant unfavorable PHQS associated with PS were support for HP or their families if infected (p < .001) and instability of knowledge (p = .027). Conclusions There was an association between impaired mental health and PQHS scores among HP. This study shows the need for HP to express their concerns about how HS are supporting their safety and that of their family during health emergencies.

BackgroundThe health emergency caused by COVID‐19 revealed the shortcomings of health services (HS), but little is known about how this has impacted the mental health of health professionals (HP) when perceiving these difficulties.MethodsData were collected through an online survey administered to HP in Lima (Peru) between May and July 2020. A questionnaire was applied to identify perceived quality of health services (PHQS). A network analysis was performed, and the centrality measures of the variables were calculated and plotted.ResultsA total of 507 HP completed the survey. In the network analysis of PHQS, four clusters were identified: (A) “empathy” and “recognition of competencies,” (B) “logistical support,” “protection,” “personal early diagnosis,” and “early family diagnosis”; C) “professional competence with regard to their treatment and treatment for their family,” “equipment for their treatment and treatment for their family,” “professional competence with regard to their treatment and treatment for their family,” and “institutional support for them and their family”; and D) “fear of being infected or infecting their family,” “fear of dying or death of a family member,” “knowledge stability,” “job burnout,” and “role change.” The variables of PHQS with the greatest centrality were “equipment for their treatment,” “equipment for the treatment of their family,” and “early family diagnosis.”ConclusionsThe structure of the PHQS of HP describes direct and indirect influences of different variables in the context of COVID‐19.

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