COVID-19 Pandemic and the Mental Health of Health Care Workers: Awareness to Action

Abstract

The enormity of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has overwhelmed most health services and has placed health care service providers under unprecedented stress. The rapidity of spread, uncertain clinical course, and unavailability of effective treatment make clinical decisions cognitively demanding. Extended work hours inside uncomfortable protective gears, improper hydration, with conflictual health systems and patients at work; and social stigma and isolation after it ends, have created an unending downward spiral of mental health in care providers. Care providers are at increased risk of developing mental health problems in form of burnout, stress reactions, anxiety, depression, and post trauma stress. Concerted strategies for managing the mental health of care providers are urgently needed at individual and systems level. A plethora of strategies, developed from previous experience of crisis management, need to be made available to care providers through accessible mediums of delivery. This paper explores the mental health problems encountered by health care personnel and examines various strategies which need to be implemented to manage them.

A survey of anxiety and burnout in the radiology workforce of a tertiary hospital during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…We found that our RADSC sample reported lower burnout and anxiety compared to previous published studies 28 (although direct comparison may not be possible) and to our larger local hospital cohort, despite similar proportions of exposure to suspected or confirmed COVID‐19 cases (a proportion of RADSC staff included within the study had been redeployed to the emergency department and makeshift facilities directly catering to known COVID patient populations; further, RADSC includes radiographers and doctors that normally have frequent patient contact, such as interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians). We also found that job dedication and teamwork were stronger among RADSC staff compared to the larger hospital cohort, with the latter noted to be statistically significant.…”

The implications of COVID ‐19 on health and social care personnel in long‐term care facilities for older people: An international scoping review

“…A nationwide lockdown was initiated in many countries, including the UK, Australia, United States, Canada, France, Italy and New Zealand, in March 2020. With a surge in cases, especially amongst older people residing in long‐term care facilities, Health and Social Care Personnel (HSCP) across the world have been thrust into the role of frontline workers in the fight to stem the spread of COVID‐19 and minimise the impact on those infected (Rajhans et al, 2020 ).…”

Insulating frontline COVID warriors from moral and mental distress during COVID pandemic- An Evidence based review

“…The impact of these constituents may be appertained to the workplace in which healthcare professionals operate (Cohen et al, 2020). These outcomes suggest exploring the genesis of mental health problems in HCWs and to practice a precautionary appraisal and curative plan to satisfy their desire (Rajhans et al, 2020).…”

“…A recent systemic review found that exposure to Covid-19 is the consistently reported source of mental health issues with concern about infecting family and friends (Vindegaard & Benros, 2020). The liable factors included direct exposure to Covid-19 diagnosed patient, working in critical care units, speculative to exposure and being a frontline HCW (Rajhans et al, 2020). Studies reported that unmediated and constant contiguity with infected brings about post-traumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia and general mental health issues in contrast with those who had no constant contiguity with infected patients (Alnazly et al, 2021).…”

“…They work beyond bounds with possibility of infection to self and their families, requisites of security, extra shifts; they undergo self isolation and detachment from families. Thus, frontline HCW have an accelerated risk of mental health problems such as burnout, insomnia, anxiety, depression, illness anxiety, PTSD and so forth (Rajhans et al, 2020). The situation can lead to suicidal ideation and thoughts.…”