Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Gabriele d’Ettorre, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Letizia Santinelli, Paolo Vassalini, Giuseppe Pietro Innocenti, Francesco Alessandri, Alexia E. Koukopoulos, Alessandro Russo, Gabriella d’Ettorre and Lorenzo Tarsitani
Additional contact information
Gabriele d’Ettorre: Department of Occupational Medicine, Local Health Authority of Lecce, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Giancarlo Ceccarelli: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Letizia Santinelli: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Paolo Vassalini: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Pietro Innocenti: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Francesco Alessandri: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Alexia E. Koukopoulos: Department of Human Neurosciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Russo: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Gabriella d’Ettorre: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Lorenzo Tarsitani: Department of Human Neurosciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Prevention of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in healthcare workers (HCWs) facing the current COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge worldwide as HCWs are likely to experience acute and chronic, often unpredictable, occupational stressors leading to PTSS. This review aims to analyze the literature to discover which topics have been focused on and what the latest developments are in managing the occupational risk of PTSS in HCWs during the current pandemic. For the purpose of this review, we searched for publications in MEDLINE/Pubmed using selected keywords. The articles were reviewed and categorized into one or more of the following categories based on their subject matter: risk assessment, risk management, occurrence rates. A total of 16 publications matched our inclusion criteria. The topics discussed were: “Risk Assessment”, “Occurrence Rates”, and “Risk Management”. Young age, low work experience, female gender, heavy workload, working in unsafe settings, and lack of training and social support were found to be predictors of PTSS. This review’s findings showed the need for urgent interventions aimed at protecting HCWs from the psychological impact of traumatic events related to the pandemic and leading to PTSS; healthcare policies need to consider preventive and management strategies toward PTSS, and the related psychic sequelae, in HCWs.

Keywords: post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD; COVID-19; healthcare worker; risk assessment; risk management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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