Mental health care for medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2020 Apr;9(3):241-247. doi: 10.1177/2048872620922795. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for society. Supporting the mental health of medical staff and affiliated healthcare workers (staff) is a critical part of the public health response. This paper details the effects on staff and addresses some of the organisational, team and individual considerations for supporting staff (pragmatically) during this pandemic. Leaders at all levels of health care organisations will find this a valuable resource.

Keywords: Covid-19; Mental health; PTSD; crisis management; critical care; leadership; medical staff; moral injury; pandemic; physician wellbeing.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • COVID-19
  • Communication
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / psychology*
  • Crisis Intervention / organization & administration
  • Critical Care / psychology
  • Critical Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration
  • Empowerment
  • Health Personnel / psychology*
  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data
  • Humanism
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / methods
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Leadership
  • Medical Staff / psychology*
  • Medical Staff / statistics & numerical data
  • Mental Health / standards*
  • Pandemics
  • Physicians / psychology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / psychology*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / psychology