Mental health and risk perception among Italian healthcare workers during the second month of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted to assess perceived risk and fear of contagion, as well as mental health outcomes among 650 Italian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. A relevant proportion of the sample reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and distress. Female sex, nursing profession, fear of being infected, as well as the time of exposure to the COVID-19 spread and the fact of directly attending infected patients were the main risk factors for developing mental health disturbances. Tailored interventions need to be implemented to reduce psychological burden in healthcare workers, with a particular attention to nurses.

Prevalence of stress, depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Stress was estimated in 40 studies [ 18 , 20 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 33 , 35 , 36 , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] , [69] , [70] ]. The overall pooled point estimates of prevalence for stress varied between 10% and 84% ( Fig.…”

“…The pooled prevalence according to the month of data collected was as follows: February: 32% ( n = 14; 95% CI 25–41; I2 = 98), March: 45% (n = 6; 95% CI 37–53; I2 = 96) and April: 50% ( n = 13; 95% CI 35–66; I2 = 98). Seventeen studies [ 20 , 35 , 36 , 39 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 54 , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] , [62] , [63] , 67 , 69 ] involving nurses who were working on the frontline showed stress prevalence at 46% (95% CI = 39–54; I 2 = 97), whereas 20 studies including mixed nurses working in the frontline and second line showed the stress prevalence was 42% (95% CI = 31–53, I 2 = 99). Thirteen studies that used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) showed a pooled prevalence of stress at 50% (95% CI = 41–59, I 2 = 98), whereas eight studies [ 35 , 45 , [54] , [55] , [56] , 63 , 64 , 67 ] using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) had a pooled prevalence of 50% (95% CI = 37–63, I 2 = 99).…”

“…The overall pooled point estimates of depression reported by the 62 studies [ 19 , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , 34 , 35 , 37 , 39 , 42 , 43 , 45 , 48 , 49 , 51 , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , 62 , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] , [83] , [84] , [85] , [86] , [87] , [88] , 90 , 91 , [94] , [95] , [96] , [99] , [100] , [101] , [102] , [103] , [105] , [106] , [107] , [108] ] varied between 9% and 89% ( Fig. 4 : forest plots).…”

Cognitive and Emotional Disturbances Due to COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in the Rehabilitation Setting

“…In this study, we also found high levels of emotional disturbance related to COVID-19, supporting the idea that, during this pandemic, patients would also benefit from telecounseling and telepsychiatry, which refers to any type of psychological service performed over the internet (i.e., counseling, psychotherapy, psychoeducation) (40). Previous studies reported the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients, caregivers, and the general population, demonstrating significant increases of issues related to anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress syndrome (2)(3)(4)(6)(7)(8). For example, in China during COVID-19 outbreak, telemedicine mental health services have been used and prioritized for people who are at higher risk of developing severe health complications related to COVID-19, including COVID-19 patients and their families (39).…”

“…In December 2019, a new disease, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), emerged in China and rapidly spread over the world, resulting in a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Scientific literature suggests that COVID-19 is associated with adverse mental health consequences for general population, hospital staff, and patients, leading to dramatic relapses in the healthcare system worldwide (1,2).…”