Psychological Adjustment of Healthcare Workers in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differences in Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction between Frontline and Non-Frontline Professionals

Carmen Trumello, Sonia Monique Bramanti, Giulia Ballarotto, Carla Candelori, Luca Cerniglia, Silvia Cimino, Monia Crudele, Lucia Lombardi, Silvia Pignataro, Maria Luisa Viceconti and Alessandra Babore
Additional contact information
Carmen Trumello: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Sonia Monique Bramanti: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Giulia Ballarotto: Dipartimento di Psicologia Dinamica e Clinica, “Sapienza” Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy
Carla Candelori: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Luca Cerniglia: Facoltà di Psicologia, Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno di Roma, 00186 Roma, Italy
Silvia Cimino: Dipartimento di Psicologia Dinamica e Clinica, “Sapienza” Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy
Monia Crudele: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Lucia Lombardi: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Silvia Pignataro: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Maria Luisa Viceconti: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Alessandra Babore: Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: Emergency situations have been associated with negative psychological adjustment outcomes in healthcare professionals, although studies on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic amongst Italian health workers are limited. The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychological adjustment of healthcare professionals during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating differences according to working or not with patients affected by COVID-19 and in areas with a more severe spread of this pandemic. Healthcare professionals’ attitudes toward psychological support were analyzed. The levels of anxiety, depression, psychological stress, and professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue) and attitudes toward psychological support were measured among 627 Italian healthcare workers (mean age = 40.55 years; SD = 11.49; range: 27–72). Significantly higher levels of stress, burnout, secondary trauma, anxiety, and depression were observed among professionals working with COVID-19 patients. Higher levels of stress and burnout and lower levels of compassion satisfaction were detected in professionals working in areas with higher rates of contagion. No interaction effects were found between working (or not) with patients affected by COVID-19 and working (or not) in areas with a more severe diffusion of this pandemic. Finally, in the group of professionals who worked with COVID-19 patients, the percentage of professionals who thought to ask for psychological support was twice that of the group that did not work with COVID-19 patients. The overall findings indicate that the mental health of frontline healthcare workers requires further consideration and that targeted prevention and intervention programs are necessary.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare workers; anxiety; depression; stress; burnout; compassion satisfaction; secondary trauma; psychological support; pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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