Clinical practice review on post-traumatic growth among healthcare professionals post COVID-19 and the facilitation of health outcomes for the patient and client population group

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a physical and psychological impact on many healthcare professionals, especially for frontline workers and allied health professionals, experiencing some degree of trauma. A significant proportion of healthcare workers reported traumatic stress and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder because of the pandemic. Post-traumatic growth has been defined as a positive psychological change that may occur when individuals encounter a traumatic experience, a crisis, or a highly stressful event. The need for social support, resilience and adaptive coping strategies are associated with experiences of post-traumatic growth, and healthcare professionals are an essential population group that are at the forefront of this traumatic concern. The aim of this clinical practice review was to explore the impact of post-traumatic growth among healthcare professionals post COVID-19 and its impact on the facilitation of health outcomes for the patient and client population group. We searched the National Library of Medicine (NLM) database for publications dated between August 2022 and August 2023. We gathered key data on post-traumatic growth among healthcare professionals post COVID-19 and health outcomes for the patient and client population group from several countries around the world. Post-traumatic growth among healthcare professionals is a concern and there is a need for evidence-based programs that help healthcare professionals overcome the challenges of work-based trauma that could hinder health outcomes for the patient and client population group.