The Effect of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review
Consolata Uzzi *
Columbus specialty Hospital 495 N 13th Street Newark, NJ, 07107, USA.
Bolaji Yoade
Interfaith Medical Center 1545 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn NY 11213, USA.
Victoria Iyanu Olateju
Medstar Harbor Hospital 3001 S. Hanover St, Baltimore, Maryland 21225, USA.
Mary Olowere
Oak Hospital 191 Lagos Ikorodu Express Road, Agric-ikorodu, Lagos Nigeria.
Gibson Anugwom
Houston Behavioral Healthcare Hospital 2801 Gessner Rd, Houston, Tx 7780, USA.
Mathew Owolabi
Children’s National Hospital 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 21225, USA.
Alexsandra Urhi
Department of mental health, Federal Medical Center, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
Hafiz Olatunde
Jydes Family Clinic 3550 Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30005, Georgia.
Fasina Feyikemi
University Of Lagos, College of Medicine, Lagos Nigeria.
Oluwafemi Akinbode
American Family Care 464 Eagle Rock Ave West Orange, NJ 07052 USA.
Dolly Ogwu
Saint James Medical Center 5987 Mableton Pkwy SW, Mableton, GA 30126, Georgia.
Funso Oladunjoye
Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: As COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect every nation, Healthcare Workers (HCW) who care for the patients are psychologically impacted. This study aims to assess the psychological impact experienced by HCW and the psychosocial support they received.
Methods: Using PubMed, google scholar and Embase from December 2019 through June 2021, we found 376 studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of HCW. Using our inclusion criteria, 325 studies were excluded. 51 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. 9 articles which met our criteria and eligibility criteria reported on 19,232 HCW, and 75.2% of the study participants were women.
Results: The study participants reported high levels of stress, hypervigilance, fatigue, sleep problems, PTSD symptoms, poor concentration, depression, anxiety, burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, suicide and self-harm ideations and somatic symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychosocial support provided to HCW includes counseling and psychotherapy-based sessions on stress adaptation, onsite mindfulness-based crisis intervention, online form of emotional freedom technique, and Effort-reward system.
Conclusion: Multiple interventions found in our review were effective in mitigating psychological stress among HCWs. These interventions should be considered as part of support provided to HCW with psychosocial challenges.
Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, mental health, healthcare workers, depression, anxiety