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Almost half of the intensive care unit (ICU) and anesthesia personnel surveyed for one study reported symptoms consistent with a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, anxiety, or drinking problems.1
The preprint, produced by researchers at King’s College London, aimed to obtain a picture of the rates of probable mental health disorders in ICU and anesthesia personnel at six English hospitals during June and July 2020. It found that, while more than half reported good well-being, many showing signs of mental health problems.
The authors said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICU staff “faced a particularly challenging time” due to the high mortality among ICU patients with COVID-19. “Difficulty communicating and providing adequate end-of-life support to patients and their families, due to visiting restrictions, has been a specific stressor for all staff working in the ICU,” they said.
The researchers asked the volunteers to complete an anonymous survey of questions about depression, anxiety symptoms, PTSD symptoms, well-being, and alcohol use. Just over 700 staff members completed the surveys, including 291 physicians (41%), 344 nurses (48.5%), and 74 other healthcare personnel (10.4%).
The preprint said that more than half (58.8%) of the participants reported good well-being on the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (n = 418, 58.8%). However, 45.4% (n = 322) reached the threshold of probable clinical significance in at least one of the following measures: severe depression (6.3%), post-traumatic stress disorder (39.5%), anxiety severe (11.3%) or problems with drinking (7.2%). %).
The study also reported that 13.4% of respondents reported having thoughts that they would be better off dead or harming themselves several days or more frequently in the two weeks before completing the survey. Nurses were more likely to communicate these thoughts than other healthcare personnel (19.2% v 7.6% for physicians and 9.5% for clinical staff).
The pre-print read: “While further validation studies are required to better understand what proportion would meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in clinical evaluation, these data suggest that ICU physicians are at significantly increased risk for PTSD.
“Our findings of high levels of PTSD and other mental health difficulties, such as depressive anxiety disorders, are highly relevant given that there is strong evidence that poor mental health is associated with a functional decline that would increase the risk of incidents of patient safety”.
A major limitation of the research was that there was no baseline to compare these figures, as no survey was conducted prior to the pandemic. The authors noted that a 2015 study of 335 ICU staff members reported probable PTSD at 8% among staff working with adults and 17% among staff working with children.
Talking to The BMJClare Gerada, who runs the NHS Professional Health Program (PHP), noted several limitations of the study, including the fact that people who completed the survey were more likely to have trouble reporting. However, he said the PHP, which provides help to doctors and dentists across England with mental illness and addiction problems, has seen high rates of mental health problems among doctors during the pandemic, especially for severe depression.
Meanwhile, BMA mental health leader Andrew Molodynski said the findings were “extremely disturbing, but sadly not surprising.”
“The BMA’s most recent follow-up survey revealed that nearly 60% of physicians in England, Wales and Northern Ireland now suffer from some form of anxiety or depression, and 46% say their condition has worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, “he said. said.
“This research further highlights the vital importance of fostering a culture of support in the workplace and the need to provide universal access to high-quality occupational health and wellness support services across the board. Similarly, healthcare and care workers need to be protected at work and therefore it is crucial that they are urgently vaccinated so that they can be fit and well to continue providing care and keeping services running. at a time when the NHS is under unparalleled pressure. “
The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Public Health Research in England. One of the researchers works for NHS England.
