Mental Health Of Healthcare Professionals Research Articles

Positive vaccine beliefs linked to reduced mental stress in healthcare professionals during COVID-19: a retrospective study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant adverse effect on the mental health of healthcare professionals. This study aims to assess the effects of the prolonged pandemic on burnout and mood disorders and to evaluate the influence of positive vaccination beliefs on these factors at a medical center during the extended COVID-19 pandemic. This retrospective study analyzed the results of an online questionnaire survey including burnout status and mood disorders from 2020 to 2022. The factors related to mood moderate/severe disorders and the impact of the positive vaccine belief were also explored. The initial analysis revealed that healthcare professionals continued to experience significant levels of personal and work-related burnout, along with mood disorders. However, the scores and the percentage of moderate to severe burnout gradually decreased. Notably, the percentage of individuals with moderate to severe mood disorders also gradually declined (2020: 13.4%, 2021: 12.3%, 2022: 11.1%). The number of participants who need professional interventions decreased from 56.2% in 2020 to 45.9% in 2021, and 46% in 2022. Multivariate analysis revealed a positive vaccine belief was associated with a lower risk of moderate/severe mood disorders, with odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of 0.38 (0.28 - 0.52) and 0.41 (0.30 - 0.52) in the 2021 and 2022 cohorts, respectively. Further investigation revealed that age over 50 was linked to a positive vaccine belief in 2021 and 2022. Within the 2022 cohort, working as nurses was identified as the independent factor associated with a less positive belief, with the OR and 95% CI of 0.49 (0.27 - 0.90). The findings of the present study suggest burnout and mood disorders are still significant during the pandemic. A positive vaccine belief may mitigate pandemic-related mental distress. Further interventions to enhance the belief combined with other supporting measures are important in a long fight against the pandemic.

Síntomas de ansiedad y depresión en los trabajadores de la salud durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en un centro de salud en Barranquilla, Colombia

IntroductionThe spread of the pandemic in Colombian territory occurred heterogeneously, suggesting a potentially differential impact on the mental health of healthcare professionals who responded to the emergency. ObjectiveTo identify factors related to depressive and anxious symptoms in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic at a clinical center in the city of Barranquilla. MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional study involving 71 active healthcare workers in 2022. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) were utilized to estimate the prevalence of these mental disorders. ResultsWe estimated a prevalence of depressive and anxious symptoms, mild or higher, at 18.3% (CI95% 10.1–29.3) and 21.1% (CI95% 12.3–33.4), respectively. Work experience, glove usage, gastrointestinal discomfort, and appetite disturbance were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, while loss of libido and appetite disturbance were linked to mild or higher anxious symptoms. ConclusionsDepressive and anxious symptoms are common in the mental health of healthcare workers in pandemic contexts. Factors associated with these symptoms, such as the use of personal protective equipment and work experience, could be addressed through organizational management.

Professional quality of life, psychological well-being, and work engagement of healthcare professionals in two Greek hospitals during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of healthcare professionals has emerged as an issue of great concern. To investigate the levels of professional quality of life, psychological well-being, and work engagement among healthcare professionals in two Greek hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2021 in two public hospitals in Greece. To assess the levels of professional quality of life, psychological well-being, and work engagement, respondents completed the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-V), the Psychological Well-being (PWB) scale, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17). A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, and 102 were returned (response rate: 68%). It was found that as burnout levels increased, the levels of work engagement decreased (rho = -0.36, p-value < 0.01). Higher levels of compassion satisfaction were associated with higher work engagement (rho = 0.48, p-value < 0.01). Multivariable analysis revealed that healthcare personnel's contact with patients or service users exposed to or who have experienced traumatic events was associated with less positive relationships with others (and, consequently, lower levels of psychological well-being) (p-value = 0.035). Healthcare professionals in the two public hospitals in Greece, experienced moderate levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their psychological well-being was also found to be moderate, and their levels of work engagement were moderate to high. Supporting the physical and psychological well-being of healthcare professionals is essential for their ability to provide high-quality care in times of crisis, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mindfulness-based interventions for improving mental health of frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

BackgroundMindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) appear to be effective for improving the mental health of healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, the effectiveness of MBIs on extreme psychological trauma caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is largely unknown. The aim of this paper was to systematically review empirical studies of MBIs for HCPs carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, to evaluate them and their effectiveness in different areas of mental health.MethodsThe electronic databases searched were Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. The date when each database was last searched was September 15, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs), and non-randomized non-controlled trials (NRNCTs) focused on MBIs for health care staff who were working in healthcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. All of them employed standardized measures of mental health. The review followed the best practices and reported using PRISMA guidelines. A data collection form, adapted from the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions, was used to extract and synthesize the results. The methods used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies were the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the ROBINS-I Tool.ResultsTwenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was moderate. The results showed the effectiveness of MBIs in improving levels of stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being. However, no conclusive results were found regarding the effectiveness of MBIs in improving the levels of burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and resilience of HCPs.ConclusionsThe MBIs for HCPs carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic have mainly contributed to improving stress, mindfulness, and mental well-being at a time of serious health emergency. However, more robust studies at a methodological level would have been desirable.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42021267621

Professional self-concept of BSN students: A cross-sectional correlational study

BackgroundProfessional self-concept consists of one's judgments, attitudes about oneself professionally, and one's own perception as a professional. A positive professional self-concept can support students and new nurses throughout their nursing careers. ObjectiveTo describe levels of self-concept among pre-licensure undergraduate students. Participants/settingThe participants were nursing students in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the United States. Design/methodsThis is a cross-sectional correlational study with self-report instruments, including demographics and the Professional Self-Concept of Nurses Instrument. Data (N = 103) were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 29.0. Descriptive statistics and professional self-concept scores were examined with independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlations. ResultsMost participants were female (n = 90), with a mean age of 20 years (SD = 1). The mean professional self-concept of nurses score was 78 (SD = 7), ranging from 27 to 108, and professional self-concept was positively correlated with receiving tutoring through the university's program, working as a tutor for nursing students or students in prerequisite classes, transferring into the nursing program, and participating in campus nursing organizations. Professional self-concept was negatively correlated with advancement in semesters of the nursing program, being a first-generation college student, having a family member who is a nurse, GPA, and having clinical-related work experience in healthcare. ConclusionsHigher levels of exposure to nursing may be related to lower professional self-concept. This is important to recognize and it may generalize to other nursing schools and health-related departments. Schools of nursing should enhance students' resilience by promoting self-concept. Our findings also shade light on self-care and the mental health of healthcare professionals.

A study on optimism as a psychological strength in nurses through a prospective study from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to two years later

Aims and objectivesThis study analyzes, in nurses, the influence of openness to experience and hardiness (assessed at baseline and one year after the COVID-19 pandemic respectively) on the development of optimism (assessed two years after the COVID-19 pandemic). Concerns about self-contagion were included as a moderating variable, given their relevance as a risk factor. BackgroundNurses have been among the healthcare professionals most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most previous studies have focused on the variables contributing to psychological symptoms, whilst the attention given to the variables adding to the well-being of these professionals has been much scarcer. DesignA prospective study was carried out. MethodsThis study was carried out using three data collection periods: Period 1 (From May to June 2020), Period 2 (From January 2021 to April 2021), and Period 3 (From April 2022 to July 2022), with the participation of 151 Spanish nurses, using online self-reporting questionnaires. The study followed the STROBE statement. ResultsThe results showed that the proposed model was statistically significant. There was a positive effect of openness to experience (year 2020) on hardiness assessed one year later (year 2021). Similarly, hardiness had a positive effect on optimism assessed another year on (year 2022). ConclusionsConcerns about self-contagion behaved as a moderator in the relationship between openness to experience and hardiness (the relationship between openness and hardiness was statistically significant when contagion concern was higher). Relevance to clinical practice: In-depth understanding of the psychological processes that trigger psychological strengths (i.e. optimism) as a result of adverse situations (i.e. COVID-19 pandemic) is essential in promoting the mental health of healthcare professionals. Interventions targeting resilient personality traits and cognitive flexibility are key to this goal. No Patient or Public Contribution: The participants contributed exclusively to the collection of the sample.

Process evaluation of PsyCovidApp, a digital tool for mobile devices aimed at protecting the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed method study.

PsyCovidApp, a digital intervention aimed at safeguarding the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial to yield significant improvements solely among healthcare workers undergoing psychotherapy or receiving psychotropic medication. (1) To identify contextual factors and mechanisms of action that influenced the impact of PsyCovidApp during the aforementioned trial; (2) To pinpoint enhancements for optimizing its efficacy. For the first objective, a process evaluation was conducted, amalgamating quantitative techniques (surveying 216 healthcare professionals who had utilized PsyCovidApp during the trial) and qualitative methods (in-depth interviews with 16 healthcare workers). The second objective involved a panel of seven experts, utilizing the RAND-UCLA methodology. The quantitative study (response rate = 40%) revealed that 22% of respondents had not fully accessed the content of PsyCovidApp. The average usage time was 22.7 min/day, being higher (p < 0.05) among consumers of psychotropic medications. Contents related to relaxation and mindfulness were most highly rated. Acceptability and usefulness scores ranged between 7.3-7.5/10 points, with higher ratings (p < 0.05) among women and older healthcare workers. The qualitative study uncovered that the primary barriers to using PsyCovidApp were workload, lack of time, and exhaustion. Its primary mechanisms of action included emotion identification, mental health regulation (e.g., insomnia, intense emotions), and learning of techniques and skills. The expert panel reached a consensus on 29 proposals to optimize PsyCovidApp. The knowledge derived from this study could inform the design and implementation of future similar digital tools.

The determinants of mental well-being of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

In this study, the objective is to understand the causal factors that influence the mental well-being of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, using Karasek’s Job Demand Control Social Model (JDCS) as the research framework. For this purpose the database Eurofound’s Living Working and COVID-19 survey is used; it was carried out using sampling design techniques in all 27 countries of the European Union. A sample of 4626 employees in the health sector is used, and structural equation models are specified to analyze causality. The analysis revealed significant associations between several factors: physical and mental work demands (p < 0.001), availability of personal protective equipment (p = 0.035), support from supervisors (p < 0.001), support from peers (p < 0.001), and age (p < 0.007). These findings, offering valuable insights into understanding and improving the management of health institutions, can serve as a foundation for developing strategies to support and enhance the mental health of healthcare professionals. Ultimately, this benefits both the workforce and the quality of healthcare services provided, particularly in preparing for potential future crises.

Sleep disorders, stress coping strategies and neurobehavioral aspects: an outlook on the impact of covid‑19 in first‑year resident physicians.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the physical and mental health of healthcare professionals. The present study explored the relationship between sleep disorders, stress, coping strategies and neurobehavioral aspects among young physicians during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a multi-assessment approach, this cross-sectional study collected sociodemographic and occupational data from first-year resident doctors in southern Italy. Subjective sleep quality, chronotype, work-related stress, coping approach and mood state were assessed by administering validated questionnaires during face-to-face interviews. Among the 258 resident physicians enrolled in the study, ~25% complained of poor sleep quality, mainly male subjects [odds ratio (OR), 2.52]. Alcohol consumption resulted as a risk factor for poor sleep quality (OR, 1.97). None of the participants reported work-related stress showing, on the contrary, a high score for the vigor factor in the profile of mood state, in particular in subjects with previous working experience with COVID patients and prevention (P<0.040 and P<0.035, respectively). Women were more likely to adopt coping strategies that involved the search for social support, confirming their tendency to manage stressful situations through emotion-focused mechanisms. The set of these results represents a sight on the attitude of young physicians in their approach to facing the COVID-19 pandemic, in its second wave. The pandemic has turned the spotlight on the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of physical health and mental well-being. Further studies are performed to monitor long-term consequences on health status.

Correlation between critical thinking and emotional intelligence: a national cross-sectional study on operating room nursing students in Iran

Abstract Objective According to the World Federation of Medical Education, critical thinking should be part of the training of medical and paramedical students. Professionals can improve the quality of care of patients after surgery by having or acquiring this skill in health care. Also, Emotional intelligence is introduced as an important and effective factor on the professional performance and mental health of healthcare professionals. Thus, the present study was designed and implemented to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking among operating room nursing students of medical sciences universities in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was done on 420 operating room students in 10 top medical sciences universities of Iran in 2022. The sampling method in this research was multistage sampling. The data collection instruments included demographic characteristics, Rickett’s critical thinking, and Bradberry-Greaves’ emotional intelligence questionnaires. After receiving the ethics code, data collection was done for 2 months. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential analyses including independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation were used. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 18 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, United States). P-value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean age of the students participating in this study was 23.02 ± 3.70 years, with women constituting 67.4% of them. The results of data analysis indicated that the mean total score of critical thinking and emotional intelligence was 124.10 ± 37.52 and 114.12 ± 43.63, respectively. A direct significant correlation between critical thinking and emotional intelligence (r = 0.459, P-value &lt;0.001) and a significant relationship between gender and emotional intelligence (P-value = 0.028) were found. Conclusions Based on the present study results, educational managers in the Ministry of Health are suggested to consider suitable educational programs for improving critical thinking and emotional intelligence to enhance the quality of care provided by students in operating rooms.

Examination of suicidal thoughts in healthcare workers: Sample of a research and practice hospital

Working in a hospital is a very stressful and sometimes risky process for all healthcare professionals who have experienced this difficult process for years. This situation may increase the suicidal tendency of healthcare workers as a result of not only physical but also psychological exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to determine the examination of suicidal ideation and related factors among healthcare professionals working in a research and practice hospital. The data of this descriptive and cross-sectional study were collected prospectively by clinicians in a research and practice hospital. The sample of the research consisted of n=600 healthcare workers. The average age of healthcare workers was 32.46±7.79 years; 48% were women and 47.7% were married. 4% of healthcare workers had a past suicide attempt, and 18% had various levels of suicidal ideation. Women were more likely to attempt suicide. There was a positive, strong, and statistically significant correlation between depression, anxiety severity and suicidal ideation. Suicidal thoughts of healthcare professionals are affected by gender, depression and anxiety. The mental health of healthcare professionals should be evaluated periodically, and psychological support should be provided to healthcare professionals at risk of suicide.

Labor gymnastics in health professionals: a systematic review

Labor gymnastics in health professionals: a systematic review

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals and Paramedical Staff Working in Peshawar, KP

Background: COVID-19 has a considerable impact on the psychological wellbeing of front-line hospital staff. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify the healthcare workers who are at increased risk of psychological stress.Objectives: To determine mental health issues due to COVID-19 among health care workers during the pandemic. To determine the factors behind mental health issues among healthcare workers during COVID-19Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study, carried out at two major tertiary hospitals in Peshawar Khyber teaching hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC). The participants included house officers, trainees, consultants and nurses. Data was collected through questionnaires. Survey tools such as Patient Health questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9) scale for depression and Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale for anxiety were used. Chi -square test was applied to find association between mental health issues and COVID-19.Results: About 230 HCWs participated having equal number of males and females. Most of the participants were in age group 25-30 and were composed of trainee medical officers. We found that 61.2% of the participants screened positive for depression while 52.6% of the participants screened positive for anxiety and it was due to dissatisfaction towards facilities provided by their respective hospitals. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression were prevalent among the health care workers especially younger and un married individuals during COVID -19. To foster supportive work environment effective strategies are needed.Keywords: Anxiety, Covid -19, Depression, Pandemic

Look, you are (not) alone: circulating gift and the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mental health of health professionals who worked directly in services during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for patients affected by the disease became a fundamental issue to be considered, given the several consequences of this activity for these professionals. This article aimed to understand the challenges and demands of health professionals concerning support to address the emotional and physical exhaustion of working on the so-called frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative methodological approach was based on semi-structured interviews conducted online with these professionals after the first months of the pandemic. The hero's place in which they were set, even if only in media discourses, soon gave way to their weaknesses and fragile work relationships to emerge: stress, fear, and the listening and reception desire. Marcel Mauss' gift theory was brought up considering that new ways of reading and interpreting health work relationships contribute to necessary and urgent reformulations of their current context, targeting mental health and, more broadly, the comprehensive health of healthcare professionals.

Untangling the Professional Web: Understanding the Impact of Work-Related Factors on the Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals During the Late Stages of Covid-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has determined an extraordinary challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. The extraordinary circumstances, characterized by elevated stress levels, prolonged working hours, new medical procedures, media attention, and high population expectations, have created an extremely stressful situation for healthcare professionals. This period has offered a unique opportunity to examine the medical system and the responses of healthcare practitioners to stress. This research aimed to identify the work-related factors that significantly impact the mental health of healthcare professionals. Three mental health variables were assessed: anxiety, depression and stress. The work-related factors considered were professional degree, type of medical unit (COVID or non-COVID), the number of hours spent at work in a single shift, type of shifts, monthly on-call frequency, and number of COVID-19 treated patients per month. In the spring of 2022, three inventories and a demographic survey were distributed and completed online by 300 healthcare professionals from Timisoara's public hospitals in Romania. Among the respondents, 47.7% reported mild symptoms of anxiety, 65.3% reported moderate levels of stress, and 33% of the participants reported mild symptoms of depression. The intensity of anxious, depressive, and stress symptoms varied significantly depending on the professional degree, number of on-calls per month, the type of medical unit where the participants worked, and the number of SARS CoV-2 patients treated in the previous month. Current data underlines the urgency of implementing effective strategies to reduce the stress and anxiety of medical practitioners who work with COVID-19 patients. Possible interventions encompass a variety of approaches, such as improving working conditions, reducing working hours where possible, increasing access to mental health services, and promoting team-building activities to enhance social support among colleagues. Digital mental health interventions, including online counseling and stress management programs, have also shown promise in these challenging times. Sustaining the mental health of medical practitioners is vital to support the continued provision of first-rate care to patients and to build a resilient healthcare workforce capable of navigating future health crises.

Post-pandemic self-reported mental health of mental healthcare professionals in the Netherlands compared to during the pandemic - an online longitudinal follow-up study.

The mental health of professionals was under pressure during- and post-pandemic. Initially, the focus was mainly on the health workers in the hospitals, but over time the pressure shifted to other sectors, including mental health care. An increase in workload and decrease in mental health of healthcare professionals in mental health care can lead to a decrease in the available care capacity. In an earlier online survey of mental health professionals, 1,300 professionals from a large number of mental healthcare institutions were involved. In this study, conducted in September 2021, about half of the respondents reported increased levels of stress. Feelings of anxiety, anger, and sadness were also increasingly experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, 4.2% replied that they were considering resigning their jobs. One of the recommendations of this previous study was to monitor these professionals repeatedly to be able to make an estimate of the stress and vision of work during the course of the pandemic and afterwards. Following this recommendation, the online survey was repeated. The aim of the current online longitudinal follow-up study was to re-evaluated mental status of healthcare workers. 510 healthcare workers participated in this follow-up survey. The reported mental health complaints were significantly higher during compared to post-pandemic. Respondents were less able to maintain work/life balance during the pandemic and even reported a shift to work. However, the majority of respondents indicated that they had restored this balance post-pandemic. Moreover, more sick leave was reported post-pandemic than during the pandemic and more frequent absences post-pandemic. This highlights the importance of focusing on resilience over training and career.

Impact of COVID-19 on depression and anxiety among healthcare professionals in Abu Dhabi.

COVID-19 has affected Healthcare workers in many ways. One of the important areas is the psychological impact. This study aims to examine the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of Healthcare Professionals (HCP) and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare providers in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, between April 11th, and July 23rd, 2020. The study was conducted by using an online anonymous Self-administered questionnaire through the survey monkey platform. A convenient sampling method was used to distribute the online survey link through the organization's email network admin list and smartphone messaging. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multivariant linear regression were used. Anxiety and depression risk scores were measured in a total of 1268 participants of healthcare providers. More than half of the participants reported symptoms of anxiety (51.5%). Depression symptoms were revealed in 38.3% of participating providers. A mild risk of anxiety was reported in 28.8% of the participants and 12.68% of the participants registered moderate anxiety risk scores and 9.95% reported a severe risk of anxiety. Among all participants, 4.3% and 2.7% reported moderately severe and severe risk of depression, respectively, while 22.5% and 8.8% of the participating healthcare providers documented mild and moderate depression risk. Anxiety and depression risk scores were significantly and negatively associated with age and working in primary health care. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression recorded among HCP during the pandemic suggests that mental health intervention and support are necessary to ensure the psychological well-being of HCP.

Mental health of healthcare professionals during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative investigation from the first and second pandemic years

Healthcare staff have been facing particular mental health challenges during the COVID-19-pandemic. Building on a first study at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, we aimed to investigate...

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare workers mental health

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented in health events that has had a negative impact on the mental health of the population in general as well as on specific categories, including patients with mental and physical disorders, and healthcare professionals. In particular, COVID-19 pandemic has produced extraordinary stress in healthcare workers, especially frontline physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals.ObjectivesIn the present study we aimed to evaluate levels of burnout, a clinical condition characterized by emotional, psychological and physical exhaustion, in a sample of health workers from the Campania region, Italy, during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary objectives of the study include the assessment, in the same group, of levels of anxiety-depressive symptoms, insomnia, suicidal ideation and symptoms on the post-traumatic spectrum.MethodsAn online survey was released through the official website of the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli” and social media. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to assess burnout in the healthcare professionals; Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 Short Version to measure levels of anxiety, depression and stress; the Insomnia Severity Index was used to identify insomnia-related symptoms; the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale was adopted to select individuals based on the presence of suicidal thoughts while the Impact of Event Scale-Revised was administered to evaluate trauma-related dimensions.ResultsA total of 389 health workers was recruited. They were predominantly female, with an average age of 39.06 (± 11.85) years, working mainly in the second line hospitals during the COVID-19 emergency. During the pandemic, first- or second-line health workers reporting significant levels of emotional exhaustion are on average 23,89 (±4.22), those reporting feelings of depersonalization are on average 7.58 (±2.73), while those who report a good level of professional efficiency are on average 21.12 (±3.48).Predictors of increased levels of depersonalization are being a first-line worker and the presence of traumatic event avoidance symptoms. Furthermore, levels of professional fulfillment are negatively affected by age, the presence of intrusive symptoms, the presence of sleep disorders, and being a frontline worker.ConclusionsThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare professionals involved in the first and/or second line COVID hospitals is indisputable. Although burnout syndrome is not a new clinical condition, the COVID-19 pandemic may further worsen the magnitude of the problem. However, our results could be a starting point to promote a change in the way we perceive the mental health of healthcare professionals.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals: Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased psychosocial risk factors among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Objective: To characterize Portuguese HCPs mental health (MH), estimate anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout symptoms, and identify risk/protective factors. A cross-sectional online survey and a longitudinal assessment were conducted in 2020 (T0) and 2021 (T1). Sociodemographic and occupational variables, COVID-19-related experiences and protective behavior data were collected from a non-probabilistic sample of HCPs in Portugal. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout and resilience were assessed using the Portuguese versions of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (MBSM) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), respectively. Risk and protective factors were identified through simple and multiple logistic regression models. Overall, 2027 participants answered the survey in T0 and 1843 in T1. The percentage of moderate-to-severe symptoms decreased from T0 to T1; however, a considerable proportion of HCPs reported symptoms of distress in both years. Being a woman, working in a COVID-19-treatment frontline position and work-life balance increased the odds of distress. High resilience, good social/family support, and hobbies/lifestyle maintenance were found to be protective factors. Globally, our results show that performing as a HCP during the pandemic may result in long-term effects on MH.