Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36343996›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Understanding the mental health impact and needs of public healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Pakistan : a qualitative study.

Waqas Hameed, Anam Shahil Feroz, Bilal Iqbal Avan, Bushra Khan, Zafar Fatmi, Noreen Afzal, Hussain Jafri, Mansoor Ali Wassan, Sameen Siddiqi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Waqas HameedDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-8100-9474
Anam Shahil FerozDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Bilal Iqbal AvanDepartment of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK Bilal.Avan@lshtm.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-4531-4508
Bushra KhanDepartment of Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Zafar FatmiDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-7212-6858
Noreen AfzalDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Hussain JafriPunjab Thalassaemia and other Genetic Disorders Prevention and Research Institute, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Mansoor Ali WassanHealth Department, Government of Sindh, Karachi, Pakistan.
Sameen SiddiqiDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0001-8289-0964
Aga Khan University · PKFatima Jinnah Medical University · PKGovernment of Pakistan · PKLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBUniversity of Karachi · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesA dearth of qualitative studies constrains in-depth understanding of health service providers' perspectives and experiences regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. This study explored the mental health impact and needs of of public sector healthcare workers during COVID-19 who working in secondary-level and tertiary-level healthcare settings of Pakistan.

designAn exploratory qualitative study.

settingTwenty-five secondary-level and eight tertiary-level public hospitals of Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.

participantsIn-depth interviews were conducted with 16 health service providers and 40 administrative personnel. Study data were analysed on NVivo V.11 using the conventional content analysis technique.

resultsThe study identified three overarching themes: (1) mental health impact of COVID-19 on health service providers that included the fear of acquiring the infection and transmitting it to their family members, fear of social isolation and stigma, anxiety related to the uncertainty of COVID-19, nervousness due to media exaggeration and stress associated with excessive workload; (2) mental health needs of health service providers involved in the COVID-19 crisis and available support from the healthcare system, including the expression of the need for counselling services and safe working conditions, the need for paid rest periods, and the need for appreciation and motivation to work in the pandemic; and (3) suggestions to address mental health needs of healthcare workers, including provision of specialised mental healthcare/services, formal training of health managers on managing mental health needs of health facility staff, and assessment and addressing of these needs of the health workforce.

conclusionThe study emphasises the need to strengthen health system preparedness for recognising and addressing the needs of healthcare professionals. At the system level, there is a need for a specialised unit to provide mental health services and better communication strategies. At the staff level, continuous motivation and appreciation should be given to healthcare professionals either through monetary incentives or formal acknowledgement of their performance.

Indexed as

COVID-19Delivery of Health CareHealth PersonnelHumansMental HealthPakistanQualitative ResearchCOVID-19MENTAL HEALTHPSYCHIATRY

Identifiers

PMID36343996
PMCPMC9644080
OpenAlexW4308471313

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.