Mental health effects of past and current pandemics on health-care professionals: A narrative review

Abstract

During the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) crisis, health-care workers (HCWs) across the world are facing a high risk of infection and increased workload. This makes them vulnerable to the psychological effects of the pandemic. This review attempts to gather insights into the psychological impact of the past and current infective outbreaks reported on HCWs. A PubMed search was conducted to identify relevant published articles on the effects of major infective outbreaks that occurred in the last two decades on the mental health of HCWs. After a critical review of 47 selected articles, a narrative synthesis was undertaken. The outbreaks included in this review were related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1 influenza, Ebola virus disease, and COVID-19. The studies were reported from 14 different countries. Except for four cohort studies, all other studies were cross-sectional in design. It was found that HCWs across the studies were at high risk of the development of various psychiatric morbidities, including stress-related, anxiety-related, and affective disorders. Certain groups of HCWs were at a relatively higher risk, like those posted in high exposure settings, nurses, those with a history of psychiatric illness, and those who have been quarantined. The organizational and social supports were important factors in reducing the negative mental health impact of the outbreak. HCWs deserve special attention concerning their mental health during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. Adequate preparedness at the organizational and individual levels is an essential measure to prevent the negative psychological effects of an infective outbreak on HCWs.