Clinical Characteristics of Healthcare Workers Attended to a Mental Health Support Line in the Very Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Noro-Psikiyatri Arsivi 2023-12, Vol.60 (4), p.370-375
• Main Authors: Tabakci, Abdulkadir Sencer, Sagman, Gamze Karabacak, Kilinc, Sevilay Umut, Yildirim, Ejder Akgun, Yildirim, Munevver Hacioglu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Brief Report; Causes of; China; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease; Disease susceptibility; Epidemics; First aid in illness and injury; Health aspects; Insomnia; Job stress; Medical personnel; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mentally ill; Nurses; Pandemics; Psychological aspects; Psychotherapy; Sociodemographics; Stress; Surveys; Workers
• ISSN: 1300-0667; 1309-4866
• DOI: 10.29399/npa.28297

This study aimed to analyze and report findings from the sessions conducted with healthcare workers during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic. The study sample consisted of 130 healthcare workers who have consecutively reached out to nationwide psychosocial support line within the first ten days of COVID-19 pandemic and had a 30-minute video session and received psychological first aid and were evaluated using a socio-demographic data form. Mental state severity and progress were assessed using CGI (clinical global impressions) at the first and follow-up interviews. 90.4% of the applicants were female, 50.4% were nurses, 34.4% were doctors, 68.8% were frontline workers, whereas second-line healthcare workers had significantly higher rates of psychiatric illness history. Contracting the virus (n=83, 66.4%), infecting others (n=72, 57.6%) were the situations that caused the highest level of anxiety. Most common psychiatric complaints were anxiety (n=107, 85.6%), restlessness (n=80, 64%), fear (n=72, 64.0%) and insomnia (n=68, 57.6%). A second session was conducted with 36.8% (n=46) of the callers, and it was detected that 93.48% (n=43) of them were able to manage their stress and 33 of them reported that the severity of their complaints decreased. Our findings have shown that healthcare workers were significantly affected in the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic with a significant level of anxiety and insomnia symptoms. Healthcare workers with a history of psychiatric illness should be considered as a vulnerable group regardless of their position.