COVID-19: clinical and epidemiological indicators of mental health in frontline professionals – a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Workers, who work on the front line to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, in special health professionals, are exposed to more risks of mental health problems. The objective of this article was to identify clinical and epidemiological aspects of the mental health of health workers, without facing COVID-19. A systematic literature review of articles published between January 1 and May 14, 2020, was carried out in the Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed and Medline databases. 58 studies were selected, of which 10 empirical articles met all inclusion requirements. The research models involved, on the one hand, demographic and occupational variables and, on the other, mental health problems, as dependent variables, highlighting: depression, anxiety, fear, insomnia and medical symptoms. In the discussion, the main consequences for the mental health of the professionals stand out, as well as the coping and application strategies.