An Exploration of COVID-19 Impact on Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health in China

Abstract

Background In December 2019, the first confirmed human case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 occurred in Wuhan, China. By March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic due to the rapid spread of the virus to other countries. Many people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in various aspects, especially front-line healthcare workers. Hospital working conditions are constantly changing to cope with the problems that arise from the pandemic. These problems can result in an unsafe patient-to-nurse ratio, understaffed healthcare workers in hospitals, equipment shortage, and increased death rates throughout the world. Encounters with these working conditions leave many healthcare workers feeling overwhelmed and experiencing burnout at the expense of their mental well-being. As the pandemic continues, many healthcare workers struggle with their mental stability as they are the front-line witnesses to the hardships. Objective This thesis will explore the COVID-19 impact on healthcare workers’ mental health and various interventions to relieve mental stress from December 2019 to the present day. Methods A literature review will be conducted, including research articles that discuss different psychiatric conditions from healthcare workers related to COVID-19, healthcare workers’ mental state in two specialized units, and various interventions to improve mental health. Additionally, a proposal for further research will be mentioned on what best methods to help alleviate healthcare workers’ symptoms of depression and anxiety?