Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Jul 10;22(8):43.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01166-z.

The Psychological Impact of Epidemic and Pandemic Outbreaks on Healthcare Workers: Rapid Review of the Evidence

Emanuele Preti  1   2 , Valentina Di Mattei  3   4 , Gaia Perego  5 , Federica Ferrari  4 , Martina Mazzetti  4 , Paola Taranto  4 , Rossella Di Pierro  5   6 , Fabio Madeddu  5   6 , Raffaella Calati  5   7
Affiliations
Review

The Psychological Impact of Epidemic and Pandemic Outbreaks on Healthcare Workers: Rapid Review of the Evidence

Emanuele Preti et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: We aim to provide quantitative evidence on the psychological impact of epidemic/pandemic outbreaks (i.e., SARS, MERS, COVID-19, ebola, and influenza A) on healthcare workers (HCWs).

Recent findings: Forty-four studies are included in this review. Between 11 and 73.4% of HCWs, mainly including physicians, nurses, and auxiliary staff, reported post-traumatic stress symptoms during outbreaks, with symptoms lasting after 1-3 years in 10-40%. Depressive symptoms are reported in 27.5-50.7%, insomnia symptoms in 34-36.1%, and severe anxiety symptoms in 45%. General psychiatric symptoms during outbreaks have a range comprised between 17.3 and 75.3%; high levels of stress related to working are reported in 18.1 to 80.1%. Several individual and work-related features can be considered risk or protective factors, such as personality characteristics, the level of exposure to affected patients, and organizational support. Empirical evidence underlines the need to address the detrimental effects of epidemic/pandemic outbreaks on HCWs' mental health. Recommendations should include the assessment and promotion of coping strategies and resilience, special attention to frontline HCWs, provision of adequate protective supplies, and organization of online support services.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemic; Healthcare workers; Mental health; Pandemic; Psychological distress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study selection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: a practical guide. World Health Organization 2017. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/258698/1/9789241512763-eng.pdf
    1. Alsubaie S, Hani Temsah M, Al-Eyadhy AA, Gossady I, Hasan GM, Al-Rabiaah A, et al. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus epidemic impact on healthcare workers’ risk perceptions, work and personal lives. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2019;13(10):920–926. doi: 10.3855/jidc.11753. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bai YM, Lin CC, Lin CY, Chen JY, Chue CM, Chou P. Survey of stress reactions among health care workers involved with the SARS outbreak. Psychiatr Serv. 2004;55(9):1055–1057. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.55.9.1055. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bukhari EE, Temsah MH, Aleyadhy AA, Alrabiaa AA, Alhboob AA, Jamal AA, et al. Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak perceptions of risk and stress evaluation in nurses. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2016;10(8):845–850. doi: 10.3855/jidc.6925. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chan SSC, Leung GM, Tiwari AFY, Salili F, Leung SSK, Wong DCN, et al. The impact of work-related risk on nurses during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. Fam Community Heal. 2005;28(3):274–287. doi: 10.1097/00003727-200507000-00008. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms