Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36344001›Full record

ReviewBMJ open2022

Interventions to support the mental health and well-being of front-line healthcare workers in hospitals during pandemics: an evidence review and synthesis.

Kate Robins-Browne, Matthew Lewis, Luke James Burchill, Cecily Gilbert, Caroline Johnson, Meaghan O'Donnell, Aneta Kotevski, Jasmine Poonian, Victoria J Palmer

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 3 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

23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Implementing PTSD interventions for hospital nurses and physicians during COVID-19: A scoping review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025
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  8. Using Conversations, Listening and Leadership to Support Staff Wellness: The CALM Framework.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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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.

Kate Robins-BrownePrimary Care Mental Health Research Program, Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Matthew LewisPrimary Care Mental Health Research Program, Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7973-0716
Luke James BurchillThe ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation, Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Cecily GilbertThe Centre for Digital Transformation of Health Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.
Caroline JohnsonPrimary Care Mental Health Research Program, Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4755-7514
Meaghan O'DonnellThe Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School, Facutly of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.
Aneta KotevskiDepartment of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jasmine PoonianEmergency Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Victoria J PalmerPrimary Care Mental Health Research Program, Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia v.palmer@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0001-7212-932X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePandemics negatively impact healthcare workers' (HCW's) mental health and well-being causing additional feelings of anxiety, depression, moral distress and post-traumatic stress. A comprehensive review and evidence synthesis of HCW's mental health and well-being interventions through pandemics reporting mental health outcomes was conducted addressing two questions: (1) What mental health support interventions have been reported in recent pandemics, and have they been effective in improving the mental health and well-being of HCWs? (2) Have any mobile apps been designed and implemented to support HCWs' mental health and well-being during pandemics?

designA narrative evidence synthesis was conducted using Cochrane criteria for synthesising and presenting findings when systematic review and pooling data for statistical analysis are not suitable due to the heterogeneity of the studies. DATA SOURCES: Evidence summary resources, bibliographic databases, grey literature sources, clinical trial registries and protocol registries were searched. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Subject heading terms and keywords covering three key concepts were searched: SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (or similar infectious diseases) epidemics, health workforce and mental health support interventions. Searches were limited to English-language items published from 1 January 2000 to 14 June 2022. No publication-type limit was used. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two authors determined eligibility and extracted data from identified manuscripts. Data was synthesised into tables and refined by coauthors.

results2694 studies were identified and 27 papers were included. Interventions were directed at individuals and/or organisations and most were COVID-19 focused. Interventions had some positive impacts on HCW's mental health and well-being, but variable study quality, low sample sizes and lack of control conditions were limitations. Two mobile apps were identified with mixed outcomes.

conclusionHCW interventions were rapidly designed and implemented with few comprehensively described or evaluated. Tailored interventions that respond to HCWs' needs using experience co-design for mental health and well-being are required with process and outcome evaluation.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsHealth PersonnelHospitalsHumansMental HealthSARS-CoV-2accident & emergency medicineadult psychiatryCOVID-19mental health

Identifiers

PMID36344001
PMCPMC9644079

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.