Long-term psycho-traumatic consequences of the COVID-19 health crisis among emergency department healthcare workers

Stress Health. 2024 Oct;40(5):e3478. doi: 10.1002/smi.3478. Epub 2024 Sep 7.

Abstract

Assess the changes in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), burnout, anxiety, depression, jobstrain, and isostrain levels over time among healthcare workers in emergency departments (EDs) after successive outbreaks of COVID-19. A prospective, multicenter study was conducted in 3 EDs and an emergency medical service. Healthcare workers who participated in our previous study were invited to participate in a follow-up 16 and 18 months and completed the questionnaires to assess symptoms of PTSD, burnout, anxiety, depression, jobstrain, and isostrain. Among the 485 healthcare workers asked to participate, 211 (43.5%) completed the survey at inclusion (122 were followed up at 3 months) and 59 participate to the follow-up study. At 16 months, 10.9% of healthcare workers had symptoms of PTSD and 17.4% at 18 months. At inclusion, 33.5% and 11.7% of healthcare workers had symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. A decrease in anxiety between inclusion and 16 months (p = 0.02) and an increase between 16 and 18 months (p = 0.009) was observed. At inclusion, 40.8% of all healthcare workers had symptoms of burnout. There was an increase in symptoms of burnout between inclusion and 18 months (p = 0.006). At inclusion, 43.2% and 29.5% of healthcare workers were exposed to jobstrain and isostrain, respectively. Jobstrain were higher among paramedics and administrative staff compared to physicians (p = 0.001 and p = 0.026, respectively). Successive outbreaks of COVID-19 led to long-term mental health consequences among ED healthcare workers that differed according to occupation. This must be taken into account to rethink the management of teams.

Keywords: COVID‐19; anxiety; burnout; emergency department; healthcare workers; post‐traumatic stress disorder.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety* / epidemiology
  • Anxiety* / psychology
  • Burnout, Professional* / epidemiology
  • Burnout, Professional* / psychology
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / psychology
  • Depression* / epidemiology
  • Depression* / psychology
  • Emergency Service, Hospital* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Personnel* / psychology
  • Health Personnel* / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires