Female nurses and health care workers are at greater risk of suffering psychological distress due to COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
The study, conducted by the University of Sheffield in the UK, is the largest global review of distress-related factors among healthcare workers at the time of an infectious disease outbreak, including COVID- 19, SARS, avian flu, swine flu and Ebola.
Researchers assessed established factors such as demographic characteristics, age, gender and occupation as well as social and disease-related psychological factors in more than 143,000 health care workers from around the world. The survey of 139 studies included data collected between 2000 and November 2020.
“Consistent evidence has shown that being a woman, a nurse, with stigma and with contact or the risk of contact with infectious patients are the greatest risk factors for psychological distress among healthcare workers,” Dr Fuschia Sirois, Reader in Psychiatry- Social and Health at the university and lead author of the study, he said.
“Analyzing data from previous infectious disease outbreaks such as SARS, avian flu and swine flu, it is likely that anxiety for healthcare workers can last up to three years after the first going out.
“As the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic it is vital that we identify the healthcare workers most at risk for distress and the factors that can be modified. to reduce distress and improve resilience, ”said Sirois.
The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, have informed a new framework that healthcare providers can use to identify those most at risk of further distress, as well as areas on which they aim to build flexibility. This framework can help guide early interventions and follow-up monitoring.
“Personal and organizational social support, a sense of control, adequate information about behavior and protection, proper training and resources, were associated with less psychological distress.
“It was interesting to see that factors such as age – even COVID-19 – did not appear to have a significant effect. In some studies, older people were not distressed – perhaps because they had worked as health care professionals for a number of years and therefore felt more equipped in dealing with them. to revolution, but younger people who were less physically affected by the infectious disease tended to be less experienced in dealing with revolution professionally, and therefore more anxious for them, ”said Sirois.
Social aspects also affected people differently – people certainly benefited from a social support network. However, living with a partner or children caused more stress for many who were afraid of passing on the disease.
Dr Sirois and a team from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust are now conducting a further study with National Health Service (NHS) staff using this new framework to help identify issues. which may reduce distress during COVID- 19.
The Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield aims to study the science behind human brain and human behavior.
Researchers cover a wide range of topics, from the complexity of cloud networks and brain function, to the developmental, biological, and social tools that shape who we are, to enhance our understanding of physical and mental health issues, and how we can handle them. .
Researchers apply a variety of research methods and use a range of specialized research resources to understand human behavior, thinking, interactions, and health problems.
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