Resilience and Mental-Health Symptoms in ICU Healthcare Professionals Facing Repeated COVID-19 Waves

Abstract

Rationale Psychological resilience (the ability to thrive in adversity) may protect against mental-health symptoms in healthcare professionals during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) waves. Objectives To identify determinants of resilience in ICU staff members. Methods In this cross-sectional survey in 21 French ICUs, staff members completed the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Impact of Event Scale–Revised (for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]). Factors independently associated with resilience were identified. Measurements and Main Results The response rate was 73.1% (950 of 1,300). The median 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale score was 29 (interquartile range, 25–32). Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD were present in 61%, 39%, and 36% of staff members, respectively. Distress associated with the COVID-19 infodemic was correlated with symptoms of depression and PTSD. More resilient respondents less often had symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Greater resilience was independently associated with male sex, having provided intensive care during the early waves, having managed more than 50 patients with COVID-19, and, compared with earlier waves, working longer hours, having greater motivation, and more often involving families in end-of-life decisions. Independent risk factors for lower resilience were having managed more than 10 patients who died of COVID-19, having felt frightened or isolated, and greater distress from the COVID-19 infodemic. Conclusions This study identifies modifiable determinants of resilience among ICU staff members. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether prior resilience decreases the risk of mental ill health during subsequent challenges. Hospital and ICU managers, for whom preserving mental well-being among staff members is a key duty, should pay careful attention to resilience.

Chinese college students’ mental health during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic: the protective role of family functioning

“…The observed protective effects of family functioning in the present study align with prior findings among Chinese young adults coping with the COVID-19 pandemic ( 31 , 32 , 47 ) and the broader public health literature ( 37 , 48–50 ). When facing a major public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, people are likely to turn to their social networks for practical and emotional support.…”