Mental Health Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been adapting to the changing needs of people worldwide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate how HCWs are managing dietary self-care needs during the increased stress-load of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine if nutritional changes are being made that could place them at higher risk for mental health problems. A cross-sectional epidemiological nonprobability snowball sampling design was used to expand access to participants. Occupational stress is a major concern among HCWs in general; however, increased chronic levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic had not been evaluated in terms of stress and dietary behavior as risk factors for mental health problems in this population. The results from this survey indicate that HCWs treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing chronically increased stress-loads, and the increased stress-load is negatively affecting dietary behaviors. Dietary behavior changes included perceived consumption of a less healthy diet overall, increased consumption of sweets and alcoholic drinks, and decreased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables since the pandemic began. Unhealthy dietary behaviors were associated in a predictive manner with negative mood states in HCWs. In addition, this study uncovered evidence of exhaustion, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thinking in this normally resilient population.