Coronavirus disease 2019 aftermath: psychological trauma in ICU healthcare workers

Purpose of review We aim to describe the extent of psychological trauma and moral distress in healthcare workers (HCW) working in the intensive care unit (ICU) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, we review reports on prevalence of mental health symptoms, highlight vulnerable populations and summarize modifiable risk factors associated with mental health symptoms in ICU HCW. Recent findings The pandemic has resulted in a multitude of closely intertwined professional and personal challenges for ICU HCW. High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (14–47%), burnout (45–85%), anxiety (31–60%), and depression (16–65%) have been reported, and these mental health symptoms are often interrelated. Most studies suggest that nurses and female HCW are at highest risk for developing mental health symptoms. The main personal concerns associated with reporting mental health symptoms among ICU HCW were worries about transmitting COVID-19 to their families, worries about their own health, witnessing colleagues contract the disease, and experiencing stigma from their communities. Major modifiable work-related risk factors were experiencing poor communication from supervisors, perceived lack of support from administrative leadership, and concerns about insufficient access to personal protective equipment, inability to rest, witnessing hasty end-of-life decisions, and restriction of family visitation policies. Summary The COVID-19 pand...
Source: Current Opinion in Critical Care - Category: Nursing Tags: ICU EXPERIENCES FROM COVID 19: Edited by Luigi Camporota Source Type: research