Psychotherapy for Healthcare Provider During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Evidence Based Clinical Review

Abstract

Background: health workers are one of the groups affected physically as well as psychologically from the pandemic. Recent studies showed many of the health workers reported experiencing anxiety, depression, and insomnia. This study aims to identify psychotherapy as a psychological health intervention, for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: an evidence based clinical review of psychotherapy as a psychological health intervention, reported in the literature, which is developed for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review was conducted following set out for Evidence-based clinical review by searching the following digital libraries: PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, and Google Scholar.

Results: six publications were selected. The identified psychotherapy used as a mental or psychological intervention for healthcare workers during COVID-19 consists of supportive psychotherapy, psychoeducation, social support, and music therapy. Overall, it shows that psychotherapy, especially supportive psychotherapy, can reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Conclusion: the physiological condition of health workers needs to get attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there is no standard of therapy yet, psychotherapy could be an option as it is proven to be able to reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare workers; internal medicine; medical journal; psychosomatic; psychotherapy.