Acute Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Frontline Healthcare Workers during the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Public
Putnam, Haley (Summer 2022)
Published
Abstract
Introduction: In December of 2019, there were reports of various cases of pneumonia with an unknown etiology in the Wuhan province in China. Later, through genetic sequencing it was determined that these cases of pneumonia were caused by a virus now known as SARS-CoV-2, now referred to commonly as COVID-19. As the pandemic progressed, it put a strain on the healthcare system, and particularly the mental health of healthcare workers and those working directly on the frontlines. Objectives: The purpose of this review was to explore the potential acute mental health effects during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers, or those who have constant exposure due to their occupation. The review also aimed to synthesize all eligible studies that have been conducted on the topic. Methods: The primary goal of this systematic review was to synthesize existing literature regarding the potential acute mental health impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A search of the literature was conducted using PubMed and Embase. Studies were limited to those in English, consisting of primary research, and were published between December 2019 and October 9, 2020. Results: Out of 1,970 initial studies, 23 were included in the final extraction and were included in this review. The primary outcomes for the selected studies included depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, burnout, fear, suicidality or suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Other outcomes included resiliency, coping, general health, quality-of-life, and overall well-being. Conclusion: The 23 studies included in this review revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant psychological impacts on frontline workers. Factors such as increased workload, sex/gender, age, fear of infection and lack of sleep are just a few of the many contributors to conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout among frontline healthcare workers. The information learned from these studies could potentially inform public health preparedness in the future.
Table of Contents
Chapter I: Introduction .................................................................................. 1
Literature Review .......................................................................................... 3
Chapter II: Methods ..................................................................................... 13
Figure 1. PRISMA Flow Diagram .................................................................... 16
Chapter III: Results ...................................................................................... 17
Figure 2 ....................................................................................................... 17
Figure 3 ....................................................................................................... 18
Figure 4 ....................................................................................................... 19
Chapter IV: Discussion ................................................................................. 23
Limitations .................................................................................................. 26
Conclusion .................................................................................................. 27
Chapter V: Public Health Implications .......................................................... 28
References .................................................................................................. 30
Appendix 1 .................................................................................................. 36
Appendix 2 .................................................................................................. 38
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