Mental health risks and damage in healthcare personnel due to treating patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Description: A bibliographic review was conducted regarding the mental health impact on healthcare personnel resulting from hospital conditions, risk factors, and ethical/moral dilemmas caused by treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Relevance: To prevent and detect mental health risks and damage in healthcare personnel by identifying the variables that increase the emotional burden from treating patients with COVID-19.

Conclusions: Healthcare personnel can experience intense anxiety, uncertainty, loss of routines and traditions, stress, compassion fatigue, and moral distress, making them prone to the triggering of mental disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even suicidal ideation. Detecting behavior that is indicative of mental health disorders is a priority for mitigating their effects and implementing high quality support strategies that promote posttraumatic growth. Once the pandemic subsides, short-term, medium-term, and long-term monitoring of healthcare personnel is recommendable to identify and adequately treat the moral suffering or the resulting mental disorders, helping them recover their previously natural confidence in treating their patients.