Abstract
COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing. We examine the frequency and predictors of the most frequent mental health problems (MHP) among FHCW during the first COVID-19 peak in Mexico, one of the most severely affected countries in terms of FHCW’s COVID-19 mortality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 8 and August 18, 2020. A total of 47.5% of the sample (n = 2218) were FHCW. The most frequent MHP were insomnia, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and health anxiety/somatization (whole sample: 45.7, 37.4, 33.9, and 21.3%; FHCW: 52.4, 43.4, 40.3 and 26.1, respectively). As compared to during the initial COVID-19 phase, depression and health anxiety/somatization symptoms as well as experiences of grieving due to COVID-19, personal COVID-19 status, and having relatives and close friends with COVID-19 were more frequent during the COVID-19 peak. Obesity, domestic violence, personal COVID-19 status, and grieving because of COVID-19 were included in regression models for main FHCW’s MHP during the COVID-19 peak. In conclusion, measures to decrease other country-level epidemics contributing to the likelihood of COVID-19 complications (obesity) and MHP (domestic violence) as well as FHCW´s probability of COVID-19 infection could safeguard not only their physical but also mental health.
Highlights
Worldwide, COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW), including medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers, are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing, counting a higher likelihood of contagion because of their continued exposure to patients with COVID-19
This may be a result of sustained or chronic exposure to stressful events, and related to the increased experiences of mourning loved ones due to COVID-19 that are related to depressive symptoms [10] and to personal COVID-19 status, which could explain the exacerbation of health anxiety/somatization [11]
Our results suggest FHCW should be closely monitored as a high-risk group for mental health problems (MHP) and given proper prevention and treatment measures
Summary
COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW), including medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers, are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing, counting a higher likelihood of contagion because of their continued exposure to patients with COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Health of Mexico (https://www.gob.mx/salud/documentos/datos-abiertos, accessed on 26 April 2021), at least a third part (33.46%) of the 235,343 FHCW with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis had a chronic illness; obesity was the most frequent (15.28%). This could exacerbate the fear of COVID-19 contagion and produce higher levels of psychological distress in those infected.
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