Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34206264›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021

The Impact of Epidemics and Pandemics on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review.

Ottilia Cassandra Chigwedere, Anvar Sadath, Zubair Kabir, Ella Arensman

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
94citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

94 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Addressing Mental Health Symptoms Among COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: A Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Pilot Study.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2024
    Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Psychological Distress, Resilience, and Immunoinflammatory Signatures in Healthcare Workers During COVID-19.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Observational
  20. Article

34 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ottilia Cassandra ChigwedereSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-6837-0839
Anvar SadathSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland.
Zubair KabirSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland.
Ella ArensmanSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is increasing evidence that healthcare workers (HCWs) experience significant psychological distress during an epidemic or pandemic. Considering the increase in emerging infectious diseases and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review and synthesize the available evidence on the psychological impact of disease outbreaks on HCWs. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of epidemics and pandemics on the mental health of HCWs.

methodPubMed, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles databases were systematically searched from inception to June-end 2020 for studies reporting the impact of a pandemic/epidemic on the mental health of HCWs.

resultsSeventy-six studies were included in this review. Of these, 34 (45%) focused on SARS, 28 (37%) on COVID-19, seven (9%) on MERS, four (5%) on Ebola, two (3%) on H1N1, and one (1%) on H7N9. Most studies were cross-sectional (93%) and were conducted in a hospital setting (95%). Common mental health symptoms identified by this review were acute stress disorder, depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The associated risk factors were working in high-risk environments (frontline), being female, being a nurse, lack of adequate personal protective equipment, longer shifts, lack of knowledge of the virus, inadequate training, less years of experience in healthcare, lack of social support, and a history of quarantine.

conclusionHCWs working in the frontline during epidemics and pandemics experience a wide range of mental health symptoms. It is imperative that adequate psychological support be provided to HCWs during and after these extraordinary distressful events.

Indexed as

COVID-19Influenza A Virus, H1N1 SubtypeInfluenza A Virus, H7N9 SubtypeAnxietyCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth PersonnelHumansMental HealthPandemicsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19epidemics and pandemicsmental health and healthcare workers

Identifiers

PMID34206264
PMCPMC8296866

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.