Challenges of mental health in medical staffs during COVID-19 outbreak: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: The frontline medical staff are under heavy workload conditions and are at high risk of infection with coronavirus disease 2019. This pandemic has burdened unprecedented psychological stress. The study aimed to compile and analyze the challenges of mental health among medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak Method: PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, and google scholar databases were systematically searched for published studies. Cross-sectional studies examining the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the medical staff's mental health were selected. Result: Eventually, 7 articles were extracted for the final analysis after reviewing the titles, abstracts, and full text. The results show that the most common psychological problems of medical staff include stress, anxiety, and depression. The medical staff had higher levels of fear, anxiety, and stress than the management staff. Among physicians and nurses, the two groups that are most involved with patients with COVID-19, the nurses showed more anxiety and stress than physicians. Conclusion: The mental health of the medical staff during the COVID-19 epidemic is at greater risk than ever before. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt comprehensive and effective supportive policies and strategies for health systems and governments. © 2023