Mental health assessment of Spanish frontline healthcare workers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract

Antecedentes y objetivo. La pandemia Covid-19 sigue desafiando a los sistemas sanitarios, exponiendo al personal asistencial a estresores físicos y psicológicos. Actualmente, varios estudios han demostrado el impacto catastrófico en la salud mental del personal asistencial durante la primera etapa de la pandemia, pero pocos han considerado el seguimiento de los síntomas. El presente estudio examina el efecto de la pandemia en la salud mental del personal sanitario de primera línea a los seis meses de seguimiento. Material y métodos. Se evaluó psicológicamente a 141 trabajadores sanitarios de primera línea de dos hospitales terciarios al inicio del estudio (julio a noviembre, 2020) y a los seis meses (enero a mayo, 2021) mediante pruebas psicométricas para el estrés agudo (VASS, PSS-10, PCL-5), la ansiedad (STAI) y la depresión (PHQ-2). Resultados. En general, se observó un empeoramiento de la salud mental entre las dos evaluaciones psicológicas, especialmente en depresión y predisposición a percibir las situaciones como una amenaza. La salud mental del personal de enfermería empeoró con el tiempo, mientras que los médicos mejoraron. La reducción de la jornada laboral y el aumento del ejercicio físico mejoraron la salud mental. Las mujeres y el personal de enfermería fueron los más afectados por el malestar psicológico al inicio y a los seis meses de seguimiento. Conclusión. Jornadas laborales reducidas, periodos de descanso adecuados, ejercicio físico y estrategias de intervención eficientes son de suma importancia para prevenir, controlar y reducir el malestar psicológico entre el personal sanitario ante escenarios críticos como la pandemia actual.

Perception of personal protective equipment availability and mental health outcomes in workers from two national hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This could suggest an unequal distribution of PPE among healthcare workers or working areas, but more studies are needed in order to make that affirmation [ 50 ]. A study of health workers in Spain showed that while nurses reported poorer mental health, doctors improved over time [ 51 ]. So, it is important to consider keeping updated the availability of PPE supply and changes to all healthcare workers as a wellbeing criterion, independently of their function [ 15 ].…”

Influence of Previous Mental State on Psychological Outcomes of Spanish Out-of-Hospital Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In addition, having suffered previous mental disorders has been considered a predisposing factor for the development, persistence, or recurrence of certain mental illnesses or other types of comorbidities [ 26 , 27 , 38 , 53 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. In any case, based on these findings, the importance of designing and generalizing new strategies for the control and monitoring of the most vulnerable HCWs, through the implementation of programs for the prevention and early detection of mental disorders and the adoption of appropriate support measures, is emphasized [ 26 , 27 , 65 ]. In this way, their mental health is prevented from worsening, and consequently, the effectiveness and quality of the care they provide are not compromised [ 25 ].…”

Experiences and needs of front-line nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

“…A national survey in China revealed that anxiety was the most common negative psychological experience among front-line medical staff at the early stage, and the nurses reported the highest level of negative emotions (86). As time went on, the nurses showed a poorer mental health state while doctors improved (87). The psychological problems might negatively affect job performance in turn during the COVID-19 pandemic (88), and the nurses' psychological resilience might be helpful for improving job performance (89).…”