'Every clinician is also a patient': Study shows psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers

Health care workers in Wuhan and other regions of China reported experiencing psychological burden related to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to results of a survey study published in JAMA Network Open. Those in Wuhan, women, nurses and frontline health care workers directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with COVID-19 were especially affected.

“The ever-increasing number of confirmed and suspected cases, overwhelming workload, depletion of personal protection equipment, widespread media coverage, lack of specific drugs and feelings of being inadequately supported may all contribute to the mental burden of these health care workers,” Jianbo Lai, MSc, of the department of psychiatry at Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, and colleagues wrote. “Previous studies have reported adverse psychological reactions to the 2003 SARS outbreak among health care workers. Studies showed that those health care workers feared contagion and infection of their family, friends and colleagues, felt uncertainty and stigmatization, reported reluctance to work or contemplating resignation, and reported experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, which could have long-term psychological implications.”