Effects of COVID-19 on mental health of health care workers in the context of COVID-19 Pandemic: A scoping review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected both physical health and mental health of Health Care Workers (HCWs), which should be prioritized to analyze to better understand the associated factors that could affect their mental health and to help improve the working conditions and tailor suitable interventions of the multi - variant coronavirus. The scoping review method is used to describe existing literature and other sources of information, commonly includes findings from different study designs and methods, following PRISMA-ScR. All 39 reviewed studies indicated the prevalence of popular mental health problems as consequences of COVID-19 on HCWs, including depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorders, stress and anxiety. Main associated factors are ranged from low - to high - risk, including fears of getting infected, long working hours and intensive night shifts, insufficient personal protective equipment, isolation from family and friends, lack of social supports, reading COVID-19 related news. A small portion of HCWs reported with positive health outcomes thanks to their good self-coping strategies to fight off bad influence of COVID-19. Mental health of HCWs is important in COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides evidence for researchers and policy makers to develop guidelines, evidence-based intervention, and policies to back up healthy working conditions and a work-life balance of HCWs.