Healthcare workers on the frontline of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic have exhibited severe mental illness as a result of their devotion, a new study has found.
The new research, publicized in the journal Psychiatry Research, involved the systematic review of 55 internationally-based studies and close to 200,000 participants.
The following databases were searched to gather articles pertaining to COVID-19: PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, APA, and Medline.
Among the participants evaluated, the majority had experienced severe impacts on their mental health, having exhibited affective symptoms, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), during the pandemic.
“We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and Psychological distress (PD) related to COVID-19 among affected populations,” the study’s authors explained in their journal report.
“The findings suggest that the short-term mental health consequences of COVID-19 are equally high across affected countries, and across gender. However, reports of insomnia are significantly higher among healthcare workers than the general population,” the authors affirmed.
In short, the results of the study could serve as a guide for the development of more efficient programs to boost mental health as confirmed cases of COVID-19 rises.
