Understanding the Psychological Stress and Optimizing the Psychological Support for the Acute-Care Health-Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In this narrative review, we examined the psychological issues related to healthcare workers (HCWs) in acute-care areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. PubMed was searched on 18 Aug 2020 for published articles, with the following keywords: “COVID-19”, “mental health”, “health-care workers”, “front-lines”, “psychology”, “anxiety”, “depression”, “burnout” and “stress” in various combinations. We identified 23 studies, out of which 15 were selected. Data from several international studies indicate that HCWs are prone to developing mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse; thus, screening and supporting the HCWs who are at bigger risk for such psychological distress is warranted. We conclude that the healthcare system should have processes for providing support to minimize possible post-traumatic consequences among HCWs.