Healthcare workers (HCW’s), including doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and more, have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic since it’s onset. You can imagine that this has had a significant impact on their mental health, but to what extent?

Several studies have recently been published describing the increased levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress of those directly facing the COVID-19 pandemic. In both China and Italy, around 1300 frontline workers in each country were surveyed. The results were similar in both groups. Increased anxiety was reported by 25-44%, 25-50% reported depression, 10-30% reported insomnia, and 50-70% reported post-traumatic stress symptoms and distress. Younger age and female sex were associated with higher levels of stress in both studies. This could be a confounding factor in both studies, as more nurses, and mostly female nurses, were surveyed, however, it could also be related to the fact that nurses spend more time in direct contact with their patients. Overall, it’s not surprising that the mental health of HCWs has been affected by working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Following the 2003 SARS outbreak, studies demonstrated an adverse psychological effect among healthcare workers as well. It is clear that pandemics like SARS and COVID-19 can create stress among all populations, but healthcare workers also are tasked with managing this stress while continuing to care for their patients, the increased risk of infecting themselves, and potentially their loved ones. If you or someone you know is experiencing increased anxiety, stress, and/or depression related to the pandemic, do not hesitate to reach out. The CDC has a specific page related to coping with mental health issues during this time, as well as numerous resources listed that you can access here.

References:

1. Lai J, Ma S, Wang Y. Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to Coronavirus disease 2019. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2763229
2. Rossi R, Socci V, Pacitti F, et al. Mental health outcomes among frontline and second-line health care workers during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2766378
3. Pappa S, Vasiliki N, Katsaounou P, et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7206431/#__ffn_sectitle