Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic likely increased exposure to potentially traumatic events. A population of special interest is healthcare workers who cared for COVID-19 patients, as they were, especially during the peaks of the pandemic, exposed to groups of severely ill or dying patients under extreme care delivery circumstances. This review and meta-analysis estimate the pooled prevalence of mental health outcomes among healthcare workers exposed to these conditions. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using several databases: Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, and PTSDPubs. Inclusion criteria focused on studies assessing work-related trauma exposure among healthcare workers during the pandemic and those reporting prevalence rates of trauma-related mental health outcomes (PTSD, anxiety, and depression). A multilevel meta-regression was used to calculate pooled prevalence rates and examine the impact of study characteristics on outcomes. Results: Eleven studies were included that assessed the mental health of healthcare workers who cared for severely ill or dying COVID-19 patients. The mean pooled prevalence of trauma-related mental health outcomes was 26.1%. There was no significant difference in pooled prevalence between outcome types (PTSD, anxiety, or depression). A significant difference was observed between the pooled prevalence from studies conducted in countries with a high Human Development Index (12.9%) compared to studies from countries with a very high Human Development Index (45.8%). Conclusion: A relatively high proportion of healthcare workers exhibit psychopathology following work-related exposure to the pandemic. This highlights the severe psychological toll of the pandemic on this professional group, who faced sustained exposure to stressful situations during the pandemic in exceedingly difficult circumstances. It is crucial to ensure early access to psychosocial support, such as organized peer support, to healthcare workers during major public health crises, especially during crises when traditional social support systems may be disrupted.
Duinkerken et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: