The mental health impact of contact with COVID-19 patients on healthcare workers in the United States

Kelly T Hurst; Elizabeth D Ballard; Grace E Anderson; Dede K Greenstein; Grace W Cavanaugh; Elspeth Dwyer; Kimberly Swartz; Carlos A Zarate Jr; Joyce Y Chung; Lawrence T Park

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114359

The mental health impact of contact with COVID-19 patients on healthcare workers in the United States

Psychiatry Res. 2022 Feb:308:114359. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114359. Epub 2021 Dec 25.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: kelly.hurst@nih.gov.
² Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: elizabeth.ballard@nih.gov.
³ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: grace.anderson@nih.gov.
⁴ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: greenstd@mail.nih.gov.
⁵ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
⁶ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: elspeth.dwyer@nih.gov.
⁷ Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Electronic address: kim.swartz@nih.gov.
⁸ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: zaratec@mail.nih.gov.
⁹ Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Electronic address: joyce.chung@nih.gov.
¹⁰ Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: lawrence.park@nih.gov.

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between contact with COVID-19 patients and the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States (US). In a convenience sample of 957 HCWs who completed an anonymous online survey between April-May 2020, HCWs who provided direct care to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients reported increased depressive and posttraumatic symptoms compared to HCWs with no COVID-19 patient contact. Additionally, more frequent contact was associated with higher distress. More data drawn from diverse samples that better represent US HCWs are needed to fully assess the scope of this association.

Keywords: Depression; Pandemic; Posttraumatic stress.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

Anxiety
COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Health Personnel
Humans
Mental Health*
SARS-CoV-2
United States

Grants and funding

ZIA MH002927/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States