Medical workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China are experiencing significant psychological burden, according to a new study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. It was the first report on the psychological status of health workers in Wuhan.

Circumstances surrounding patient care during a viral epidemic are mentally taxing on medical workers. Working long hours, being isolated from family, and being in contact with infected individuals can cause trauma. The impact of public health crises on mental health is often overlooked even though, as researchers explain, “The number of people suffering from mental health impacts after a major event is often greater than the number of people who are physically injured, and mental health effects may last longer”.

There may be ways to ease the psychological burden on medical workers. In Wuhan, the Chinese city with the first outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19, mental health intervention plans were put in place for healthcare workers. Support was offered in the way of mental health brochures, psychotherapy, and counseling, but it is important to examine whether or not these programs are effective.

A study was conducted to explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on hospital staff in Wuhan and to examine the impact of psychological intervention services in addressing this burden.

A survey was distributed from January 29, 2020, to February 4, 2020, to doctors and nurses working in Wuhan, China. In total, 994 medical workers completed the questionnaire, including 183 doctors and 811 nurses. To assess their risk of exposure to COVID-19, workers were asked whether or not they were currently treating patients with the virus and whether they or people close to them had contracted the virus.

The survey included a mental health assessment that evaluated symptoms of depression, anxiety, distress, and insomnia using self-reports. Participants were also questioned on the type of mental health services they had accessed and the type of services they would be interested in going forward.

According to their mental health scores, participants were classified into four groups. Results showed that 34% of medical workers showed mild psychological disturbances, 22% showed moderate disturbances, and 6% showed severe disturbances. Thirty-six percent did not meet the threshold for mental health disturbances.

As the authors point out, there was evidence to suggest that access to psychological care may have served a protective role for those experiencing the least ill effects. Those with lower disturbance levels had accessed more mental health materials such as brochures and more psychological resources provided through digital media than those who experienced the most psychological damage. They were also less likely to report a desire to obtain self-help skills or counseling from professionals. However, researchers note that since the study was cross-sectional, cause and effect cannot be determined.

The authors conclude that an alarming number of health workers in Wuhan are experiencing psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak. They emphasize that medical staff dealing with virus outbreaks are both needing and seeking help and that, “care for these caregivers – whether through face-to-face counseling or comparable support through digital platforms such as cell phone interfaces – is essential in efforts to extend their immediate efficiency and to better protect their mental health in the long term”.

The study, “Impact on mental health and perceptions of psychological care among medical and nursing staff in Wuhan during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease outbreak: A cross-sectional study”, was authored by Lijun Kang, Simeng Ma, Min Chen, Jun Yang, Ying Wang, Ruiting Li, Lihua Yao, Hanping Bai, Zhongxiang Cai, Bing Xiang Yang, Shaohua Hu, Kerang Zhang, Gaohua Wang, Ci Ma, and Zhongchun Liu.