The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of medical staff considering the interplay of pandemic burden and psychosocial resources—A rapid systematic review

Abstract

Background In times of the global corona pandemic health care workers (HCWs) fight the disease at the frontline of healthcare services and are confronted with an exacerbated load of pandemic burden. Psychosocial resources are thought to buffer adverse effects of pandemic stressors on mental health. This rapid review summarizes evidence on the specific interplay of pandemic burden and psychosocial resources with regard to the mental health of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to derive potential starting points for supportive interventions. Methods We conducted a rapid systematic review following the recommendations of the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group. We searched 7 databases in February 2021 and included peer-reviewed quantitative studies, that reported related data on pandemic stressors, psychosocial resources, and mental health of HCWs. Results 46 reports were finally included in the review and reported data on all three outcomes at hand. Most studies (n = 41) applied a cross-sectional design. Our results suggest that there are several statistically significant pandemic risk factors for mental health problems in HCWs such as high risk and fear of infection, while resilience, active and emotion-focused coping strategies as well as social support can be considered beneficial when protecting different aspects of mental health in HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence for patterns of interaction between outcomes were found in the context of coping style when facing specific pandemic stressors. Conclusions Our results indicate that several psychosocial resources may play an important role in buffering adverse effects of pandemic burden on the mental health of HCWs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, causal interpretations of mentioned associations are inadequate due to the overall low study quality and the dominance of cross-sectional study designs. Prospective longitudinal studies are required to elucidate the missing links.

Assessment of Anxiety, Depression, Work-Related Stress, and Burnout in Health Care Workers (HCWs) Affected by COVID-19: Results of a Case–Control Study in Italy

“…underlines there are several pandemic risk factors for mental health problems in HCWs, including as high risk and fear of infection. However, other factors such as resilience, active, and emotion-focused coping strategies, and social support can be considered beneficial when protecting different aspects of mental health in HCWs [ 30 ].…”

Coping Strategies and Perceiving Stress among Athletes during Different Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Data from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia

“…In the Polish athlete subsample, we observed a decrease in the frequency of using emotion-focused strategies . It is assumed that emotion-focused strategies are ineffective in the long term, though they may negate the consequences of stress in some situations [ 73 , 74 ]. In the Romanian athlete subsample, the use of dysfunctional strategies increased in frequency.…”

Stress Perception and Coping Strategies of Students on Both Sides of the EU’s Eastern Border during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the population has been scientifically analyzed as a multifactorial process. [ 31 ]. The effectiveness of adaptation to the new conditions resulting from the psycho-traumatic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is determined by the influence of both external circumstances and personal traits [ 32 , 33 ].…”