Nearly half of healthcare professionals have been at risk of developing a mental disorder
Nearly half of healthcare professionals were at high risk of experiencing a mental health problem during the first wave of COVID-19. This is the main conclusion of two studies included in the MINDCOVID research project , led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) , the CIBER Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) , the CIBER Network for Mental Health (CIBERSAM ), and physicians from Hospital del Mar.
The studies were published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health and the journal Depression & Anxiety. Preliminary data from this study were presented by Dr. Jordi Alonso, the study's lead author, director of the Epidemiology Program at IMIM-Hospital del Mar, and co-scientific director of the CIBER Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), at the online meeting "Mental Health Research and COVID-19."
With the aim of assessing the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, identifying risk and protective factors for the onset or persistence of poor mental health, and quantifying mental health care needs, MIND/COVID has studied three major groups: healthcare professionals, people with COVID-19 and their environment, and the general population.
In the case of health professionals , this study, conducted through online surveys of approximately 10,000 professionals from 18 hospital centers in six autonomous communities of the State (Andalusia, the Basque Country, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Madrid and the Valencian Community), reveals the extent of the emotional impact of the pandemic on this group of professionals.
According to the information released about the study, 45.7% of the participants are at high risk for some type of mental disorder, meaning they require a professional evaluation to confirm the presence of a mental disorder. Furthermore, 1 in 7 (14.5%) have a disabling mental disorder, with clear negative repercussions on their professional and social lives.
By mental health condition, 28.1% present with depression, 22.5% with anxiety disorder, almost one in four with panic disorder, 22.2% with post-traumatic stress disorder, and slightly more than 6% with substance abuse. Furthermore, having had a mental health disorder before the pandemic doubles the risk of experiencing it again as a result of COVID-19.
In addition, 3.5% present suicidal ideation (presence of ideas of death and persistent thoughts of wanting to kill oneself).
The collective of health professionals, amongst the most impacted by Covid-19
According to the data, the most impacted group is that of nursing assistants and nurses: 2 out of 3 suffer risk of mental disorder and, in the case of nurses, the risk is present for half.
The study also includes other risk factors, such as being female (41.4% of those surveyed reported having children under 12 years of age in their care); young age, very frequent exposure to people sick with COVID-19, isolation or confinement due to quarantine because of the stress of not helping the health team, and the perceived lack of adequacy of health centers.
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