How Did the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

What you need to know

• The mental health impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers remained high several months into the pandemic
• About 41.5% of healthcare workers experienced mental health issues like depression and anxiety during the second wave of the pandemic
• Both new cases and persistent cases from earlier in the pandemic contributed to the high rates
• Work-related stress, health concerns, and interpersonal stress were major risk factors for mental health issues

The mental health toll on healthcare workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed enormous strain on healthcare systems and workers worldwide. This study aimed to understand how the mental health of healthcare workers in Spain changed over time during the pandemic.

The researchers surveyed nearly 5,000 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and other staff, at two time points - during the first wave of the pandemic in Spain (May-September 2020) and again about 4 months later during the second wave (October-December 2020).

High rates of mental health issues persisted

At the first survey during the initial wave, 45.4% of healthcare workers were experiencing symptoms of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use issues.

When surveyed again months later during the second wave, the rate remained high at 41.5%. This suggests the mental health impact on healthcare workers did not improve much over time as the pandemic continued.

The persistent high rate was due to two factors:

1. Many workers who had mental health issues initially continued to struggle (67.7% of those with issues in the first survey still had them in the second).

2. New cases developed over time in workers who were initially doing okay (19.7% of those without issues in the first survey developed them by the second).

Who was most at risk?

Certain groups of healthcare workers were more likely to experience mental health issues:

• Younger workers
• Women
• Those born outside of Spain
• Workers with lower incomes
• Auxiliary nurses
• Those with pre-existing mental health conditions
• Those with chronic physical health conditions

Key risk factors

The study identified several factors that increased the risk of developing or continuing to experience mental health issues:

Work-related factors:

• Longer work hours
• Frequent exposure to COVID-19 patients
• Having to make difficult care decisions
• Perceived lack of preparation/resources

Health-related stress:

• Worry about personal health
• Concern about health of loved ones

Other stressors:

• Financial stress
• Interpersonal/relationship stress

Conclusions

• The mental health impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers remained high over time rather than improving
• Both persistent cases and new cases contributed to the ongoing high rates
• Work-related factors, health concerns, and other stressors played a major role
• Efforts to support healthcare worker mental health are critical and should address these key risk factors

This study highlights the sustained toll of the pandemic on healthcare workers’ wellbeing. The findings suggest a need for mental health support and interventions that specifically target the work-related and personal stressors healthcare workers face. Addressing issues like workload, resource shortages, financial strains, and health worries could potentially prevent a significant portion of the mental health impact.

Continued monitoring of healthcare worker mental health and access to support services are important to reduce the risk of long-term or chronic mental health issues in this critical workforce. The pandemic has placed unprecedented demands on healthcare systems and workers - protecting their mental health should be a key priority.