THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

by Sondra Badolamenti Researcher at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention

Despite previous experiences with pandemics, little is still known about the psychological impact that Covid-19 has had on healthcare workers. Everyone is still facing its challenges and risking its consequences. Risk factors for the development of psychiatric disorders among healthcare workers are related to prolonged contact with infected patients, exhausting shifts, and lack of support. Some authors have highlighted that since 2020, the incidence of anxiety, depression, dissociative disorders, and PTSD has dramatically increased among healthcare professionals working in intensive care units or emergency departments. This incidence is linked to specific characteristics such as constant exposure to the noises of monitoring devices, increased clinical instability of patients, continuous tension, heavy workloads, and shortage of nursing staff to help with difficult situations. Fear of infecting your own family has generated a continuous state of insecurity and alertness, while working with colleagues who are sometimes inadequately trained has been associated with an increased risk of anxiety. Another factor has been communication, with often contradictory information leading to increased frustration and a sense of powerlessness, while lack of leisure time and rest have exacerbated social isolation. The constant struggle between managing work and family commitments has been an extremely disruptive factor, too. Those who could not rely on the help of family members have experienced a frightening increase in their responsibilities and concerns. However, there is still much to be explored, as the long-term effects of what we have been through are still grossly underestimated.