COVID-19-Related Mental Health Effects in the Workplace: A Narrative Review.

Gabriele Giorgi,Luigi Isaia Lecca,Federico Alessio,Lucrezia Ginevra Lulli,Giorgia Bondanini,Georgia Libera Finstad,Giulio Arcangeli,Nicola Mucci

doi:10.3390/ijerph17217857

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has deeply altered social and working environments in several ways. Social distancing policies, mandatory lockdowns, isolation periods, and anxiety of getting sick, along with the suspension of productive activity, loss of income, and fear of the future, jointly influence the mental health of citizens and workers. Workplace aspects can play a crucial role on moderating or worsening mental health of people facing this pandemic scenario. The purpose of this literature review is to deepen the psychological aspects linked to workplace factors, following the epidemic rise of COVID-19, in order to address upcoming psychological critical issues in the workplaces. We performed a literature search using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, selecting papers focusing on workers’ psychological problems that can be related to the workplace during the pandemic. Thirty-five articles were included. Mental issues related to the health emergency, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders are more likely to affect healthcare workers, especially those on the frontline, migrant workers, and workers in contact with the public. Job insecurity, long periods of isolation, and uncertainty of the future worsen the psychological condition, especially in younger people and in those with a higher educational background. Multiple organizational and work-related interventions can mitigate this scenario, such as the improvement of workplace infrastructures, the adoption of correct and shared anti-contagion measures, including regular personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, and the implementation of resilience training programs. This review sets the basis for a better understanding of the psychological conditions of workers during the pandemic, integrating individual and social perspectives, and providing insight into possible individual, social, and occupational approaches to this “psychological pandemic”.

Highlights

In late December 2019, a number of local health authorities of Wuhan, Hubei Province in China, reported clusters of patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause, which were epidemiologicallyInt
This study examined the mental health of healthcare workers, such as nurses after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic
This study aims to analyze the factors potentially involved in the post-traumatic stress disorder level of healthcare workers such as nurses, who are most exposed to COVID-19 in China

Summary

Introduction

In late December 2019, a number of local health authorities of Wuhan, Hubei Province in China, reported clusters of patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause, which were epidemiologicallyInt. In late December 2019, a number of local health authorities of Wuhan, Hubei Province in China, reported clusters of patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause, which were epidemiologically. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7857; doi:10.3390/ijerph17217857 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7857 linked to a seafood market in Wuhan [1]. The first case was reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 December 2019. Some experts believe that the earliest case of COVID-19 was detected as early as 17 November 2019 [2]. The pathogen, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), was identified by local hospitals, as stated by the WHO on 9 January 2020. COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the world and has reached pandemic proportions affecting all continents

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