Mental Health Problems among COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers and the Other Country-Level Epidemics: The Case of Mexico

Rebeca Robles, Silvia Morales-Chainé, Alejandro Bosch, Claudia Astudillo-García, Miriam Feria, Sara Infante, Natasha Alcocer-Castillejos, Leticia Ascencio, Janet Real-Ramírez, Dulce Díaz, Héctor Francisco Gómez-Estrada, Claudia Becerra, Raúl Escamilla, Alejandra López-Montoya, Ana Beristain-Aguirre, Hamid Vega, Dení Álvarez-Icaza, Evelyn Rodríguez, Sol Durand, Ana Fresán, María-Elena Medina-Mora, Carmen Fernández-Cáceres and Eduardo Ángel Madrigal de León
Additional contact information
Rebeca Robles: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Silvia Morales-Chainé: Faculty of Psychology and General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Alejandro Bosch: Faculty of Psychology and General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Claudia Astudillo-García: Psychiatric Care Services, Ministry of Health, Ciudad de México 11470, Mexico
Miriam Feria: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Sara Infante: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Natasha Alcocer-Castillejos: Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
Leticia Ascencio: Palliative Care Service, National Cancer Institute, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
Janet Real-Ramírez: Population Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
Dulce Díaz: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Héctor Francisco Gómez-Estrada: Centros de Integración Juvenil, Ciudad de México 03600, Mexico
Claudia Becerra: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Raúl Escamilla: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Alejandra López-Montoya: Faculty of Psychology and General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Ana Beristain-Aguirre: Faculty of Psychology and General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Hamid Vega: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Dení Álvarez-Icaza: Faculty of Psychology and General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Evelyn Rodríguez: Infectious Disease Research Center, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
Sol Durand: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Ana Fresán: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
María-Elena Medina-Mora: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Carmen Fernández-Cáceres: Centros de Integración Juvenil, Ciudad de México 03600, Mexico
Eduardo Ángel Madrigal de León: Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing. We examine the frequency and predictors of the most frequent mental health problems (MHP) among FHCW during the first COVID-19 peak in Mexico, one of the most severely affected countries in terms of FHCW’s COVID-19 mortality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 8 and August 18, 2020. A total of 47.5% of the sample ( n = 2218) were FHCW. The most frequent MHP were insomnia, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and health anxiety/somatization (whole sample: 45.7, 37.4, 33.9, and 21.3%; FHCW: 52.4, 43.4, 40.3 and 26.1, respectively). As compared to during the initial COVID-19 phase, depression and health anxiety/somatization symptoms as well as experiences of grieving due to COVID-19, personal COVID-19 status, and having relatives and close friends with COVID-19 were more frequent during the COVID-19 peak. Obesity, domestic violence, personal COVID-19 status, and grieving because of COVID-19 were included in regression models for main FHCW’s MHP during the COVID-19 peak. In conclusion, measures to decrease other country-level epidemics contributing to the likelihood of COVID-19 complications (obesity) and MHP (domestic violence) as well as FHCW´s probability of COVID-19 infection could safeguard not only their physical but also mental health.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare workers; mental disorders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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