Mental Health Support for Healthcare Workers During Epidemic Crises
Summary
The emergence and spread of novel infectious diseases impose severe psychological burdens on healthcare workers, manifesting as elevated levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and burnout. Prolonged exposure to high patient mortality, unpredictable workloads and moral dilemmas undermines emotional well-being and threatens workforce resilience. In response, a spectrum of interventions has been developed at individual, organisational and system levels. Individual-focused approaches include cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based exercises delivered face-to-face or via digital platforms, aimed at improving coping skills and reducing acute stress. Organisational measures encompass peer support schemes, clear communication channels, rest facilities and on-site psychological hotlines, which foster a culture of support and encourage early help-seeking. System-level strategies leverage telemedicine, mobile health applications and rapid training modules to ensure equitable access to mental health resources, including in low-resource or remote settings. Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate the importance of integrated, multidimensional responses that combine preventive resilience-building with timely therapeutic support, thereby preserving workforce capacity and safeguarding patient care during epidemic crises.
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Mental Health Support for Healthcare Workers During Epidemic Crises publication trend
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Technical terms
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): A structured, time-limited psychological treatment that addresses maladaptive thoughts and behaviours to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Burnout: An occupational syndrome characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment.
Resilience: The capacity of individuals or organisations to adapt positively and recover following exposure to stress or adversity.
Mobile health (mHealth): The practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, to deliver health interventions and monitor well-being.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A psychiatric condition that can develop after exposure to traumatic events, marked by intrusive memories, hyperarousal and avoidance behaviours.
References
- Effectiveness of a Smartphone-Based Stress Management Program for Depression in Hospital Nurses During COVID-19 in Vietnam and Thailand: 2-Arm Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2024).
- Strategies for maintaining and strengthening the health care workers during epidemics: a scoping review. Human Resources for Health (2023).
- Implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Public General Hospital in Madrid, Spain. Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020).
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