Addressing the Mental Health of Frontline Workers By Steve Chasteen
T
he pandemic has taken its toll on a vast number of individuals’ mental health, affecting people among every age group and demographic. However, frontline health care workers face increasing challenges to their mental health. Arkansas health care workers, especially nurses, regularly encounter high workloads, burnout, and exposure to psychologically traumatic events, each of which is a risk factor associated with the increased onset of mental disorders. The cumulative effects of repeated exposure to stressors may result in poorer mental health and functioning.1 Nurses experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety more frequently than the general population,2 yet current and sizeable sample data are lacking. When comparing medical and non-medical health workers, medical health workers exhibit a higher prevalence of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.3 As groups, nurses, women, and frontline health care workers report
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more severe mental health symptoms resulting from the pandemic than do others.4 Because women represent the majority of the health workforce, as a group they remain at greater risk for contracting COVID-19 and suffering its emotional toll. Among those frontline workers experiencing clinically significant distress or impairment, individuals may exhibit distinct signs and symptoms: feeling overwhelmed with growing levels of anxiety and depression. Frontline workers cope with COVID-19’s stressors in varying degrees. Some adapt as anxiety, fatigue, and depression levels rise; in others, these conditions trigger mental disorders. The combination of fatigue and the pressure to continue working (despite the threat of contracting the virus) contributes to evolving mental health strain. It is likely that significant mental health challenges will emerge from the ongoing pandemic. Though frontline staff and direct patient care areas are highly impacted, the pandemic also adds concerns
