No abstract

Healthcare workers employed in the COVID-19 emergency are at high risk of stress, burnout and post-traumatic stress disorders. The most important occupational risk factors that employers should address include insufficient staff training and resources available, and lack of training and treatment protocols. In Italy, recent guidelines were released for providing all healthcare workers who are employed in this emergency with psychological support services based on coping strategies for managing stress. We suggest that preventive measures and a psychological intervention plan should be framed within the mandatory occupational health surveillance programme, and carried out by occupational physicians in cooperation with mental healthcare providers in the workplace.

The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is putting a severe strain on all healthcare systems. Several occupational risk factors are challenging healthcare workers (HCWs) who are at high risk of mental health outcomes, including Burnout Syndrome (BOS). BOS is a psychological syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses concerning BOS and coronavirus (SARS/MERS/SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks was carried out on PubMed Central/Medline, Cochrane Library, PROSPERO, and Epistemonikos databases. Data relating to COVID-19 is insufficient, but in previous SARS and MERS outbreaks about one-third of HCWs manifested BOS. This prevalence rate is similar to the figure recorded in some categories of HCWs exposed to chronic occupational stress and poor work organization during non-epidemic periods. Inadequate organization and worsening working conditions during an epidemic appear to be the most likely causes of BOS. Preventive care and workplace health promotion programs could be useful for protecting healthcare workers during pandemics, as well as during regular health activities.