The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric developmental services: a cross-sectional study on overall burden and mental health status

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 outbreak has taken a heavy toll on the mental well-being of healthcare workers, even those who have not been directly involved in the care of acutely ill patients. The aims of this study were to identify the overall burden and mental health status of healthcare workers in pediatric developmental services under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the risk and protective factors associated with mental health. Methods This cross-sectional web-based study was part of a large multicenter VOICE study conducted among employees ((neuro-)pediatricians, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc.) from various pediatric developmental services between June and July 2020. A total of 1291 questionnaires regarding overall burden, mental health status (depression, generalized anxiety disorder and emotional exhaustion) and risk and protective factors for mental health (working conditions, potential problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and psychological resources) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. Results A total of 44.5% (574/1291) participants felt a high or very high overall burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of all the participants, 14.6% (171/1173) reported clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms, 17.0% (199/1173) reported generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and 44.6% (532/1192) reported emotional exhaustion. Multiple linear regression analyses identified several common risk and protective factors for mental health status variables. The burden of an increase in the quantity of work, fear of work and fear of becoming infected showed the strongest negative associations, whereas psychological resources and sufficient relaxation in leisure time exhibited the strongest positive associations. Conclusion Employees who were not directly involved in the care of acutely ill patients were also exposed to considerable stress, some of which was not different from that experienced by professionals who were directly affected. These employees should not be lost sight of and must be offered appropriate support.

The mental health of laboratory and rehabilitation specialists during COVID-19: A rapid review

“…Specifically, 45.5% experienced a very low or low overall burden, while only 15.2% experienced a high or very high burden before the pandemic. During the pandemic, only 13% reported a low or very low burden while 50.5% experienced a high or very high burden [21] . Additional analyses were included in the study; however, they were combined with other occupational groups and, therefore, could not be interpreted for this study.…”

“…Of these studies, three articles were related to MLPs, three were related to OTs, and 10 were related to PTs. One study examined several healthcare groups, including OTs and PTs [21] . The PRISMA chart ( Figure 1 ) reflects these findings [22] .…”

“…Three cross-sectional studies examined the mental health of OTs during the pandemic [21] , [25] , [26] . In one study that examined the mental health of various healthcare groups, OTs reported a perceived increase in overall burden during the pandemic.…”

Comparison of the burnout among medical residents before and during the pandemic

“…Again, in a study conducted with anesthesiologists and intensive care unit nurses in Istanbul during the early stages of the pandemic (May 2020), EE and DP scores were like those in our study, and the PA score was higher than that of in our study (Sevinc et al, 2022). Before the pandemic, it is known that despite the high workload, people who are better able to adapt to crises and cope with difficult situations may experience less burnout (Borusiak et al, 2022). This may explain the difference between the PA scores of anesthesiologists, intensive care unit nurses, and other studies.…”

Cien años de salud en un contexto demográfico, epidemiológico y de políticas públicas: la transición de la morbilidad infantil y sus desafíos

“…Por otro lado, la falta de acceso a especialistas, es- pecialmente en el ámbito de la salud mental, llevó a los pediatras a tener que solucionar otras situaciones de salud con la que no estaban familiarizados, como son los intentos de suicidio y los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en niños(as) y adolescentes, que desplazaron los tradicionales cuadros respiratorios de invierno en el periodo de la pandemia y coexisten como prioridades de salud infantil luego del relajo en las medidas de confinamiento. Diversos estudios han asociado estas prácticas y transformaciones de la pediatría, en tiempos ya complejos desde el punto de vista sanitario y social, a elevados niéveles de estrés y burnout 46,47 . Los médicos, vistos algún minuto como los superhéroes de la pandemia, se fueron desgastando y perdiendo sus espacios de cuidado personal.…”