The coronavirus could be wreaking havoc on the mental health of nurses and other frontline healthcare workers. A new study of nearly 1,300 healthcare workers in China who dealt with COVID-19 patients is an early indicator that such a concern is true.
The investigation surveyed 1,257 healthcare workers directly engaged in diagnosing, treating or providing nursing care to patients with suspected or confirmed COVID in multiple regions of China. Researchers asked participants if they were experiencing any symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia or distress.
They found that nearly three-quarters of participants showed signs of distress and half reported symptoms of depression, while nearly 45% had experienced symptoms of anxiety. Insomnia had affected about 34% of participants. Furthermore, nurses, women and frontline workers were more likely to report the most severe symptoms.
As the virus continues to affect nursing homes across the country, the authors recommend administrators check in frequently with staff on how they are doing amid the added stress of the pandemic.
Findings were reported in JAMA Network Open.
