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

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The 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is an international public health emergency unprecedented in modern history 1 .Besides the biological context, and due to the wide and longlasting changes in daily life it may cause, coping with it represents a challenge to psychological resilience.Previous studies have shown that epidemics and contamination outbreaks of diseases have been followed by drastic individual and social psychosocial impacts, which eventually become more pervasive than the epidemic itself 2,3 .Currently, due to this pandemic, high levels of anxiety, stress and depression have already been observed in the general population 4,5 .Considering this scenario, it is essential that health authorities identify groups with high risk of developing emotional issues -in addition to the biological peril, already well established and publicized -to monitor their mental health and carry out early psychological and psychiatric interventions 3,4 .Amongst these are the healthcare workers assisting patients with known or suspected COVID-19.Primary care workers, such as nurses, nursing technicians and medical doctors who are in direct contact with patients and their body fluids, are those most vulnerable to infection 3,6 .During pandemics, as the world faces a shutdown or slowdown in daily activities and individuals are encouraged to implement social distancing so as to reduce interactions between people, consequently reducing the possibility of new infections 7 , health professionals usually go in the opposite direction.Due to the exponential increase in the demand for healthcare, they face long work shifts, often with few resources and precarious infrastructure 8 , and with the need of wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that may cause physical discomfort and difficulty breathing 6 .In addition, many professionals may feel unprepared to carry out the clinical intervention of patients infected with a new virus, about which little is known, and for which there are no well-established clinical protocols or treatments 6 .Also, there is the fear of autoinoculation, as well as the concern about the possibility of spreading the virus to their families, friends or colleagues 9,10 .This can lead them to isolate themselves from their family nuclear or extended, change their routine and narrow down their social support network 6 .These factors can result in different levels of psychological pressure, which may trigger feelings of loneliness and helplessness, or a series of dysphoric emotional states, such as stress, irritability, physical and mental fatigue, and despair 6 .The work overload and the symptoms related to stress make health professionals especially vulnerable to psychological suffering 8,9,10 , which increases the chance

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Ornell, F. R., Halpern, S. C., Kessler, F. H. P., & Narvaez, J. C. D. M. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare professionals. Cadernos de Saúde Pública. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311x00063520