The coronavirus pandemic has created a new normal for healthcare workers. Nurses and doctors now find themselves competing over limited supplies of personal protection equipment (PPE), watching their patients die at an accelerating rate, and working around the clock to save as many lives as they can. As the healthcare industry races to keep up with demand, some in the field have warned of the potential for a second pandemic: a mental health crisis among our nation’s healthcare workers.
Providers around the country are suffering from depression, increased anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and less job satisfaction as they try to respond to the growing number of coronavirus patients. Some facilities are using teletherapy to help their staff members cope with their feelings amid this stressful time, but not every care provider is able to do that – many of them have to push their feelings aside so they can focus on the task at hand.
If you have noticed that your mental health has started to suffer since the beginning of the pandemic, learn more about the latest coping strategies.
Tracking the Mental Health of COVID-19 First Responders
It may be awhile before we understand the full psychological toll of the pandemic, but some early studies suggest that first responders are taking the heat. A recent study from China shows that around half of providers that cared for COVID-19 patients now suffer from depression and anxiety, while a third are suffering from insomnia.
Here in the U.S., health officials worry the same thing is happening in this country. Huge swaths of our nation’s providers could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the months and years following the pandemic.
Some facilities have started directing their workers to teletherapy, so they can still access mental health services amid the outbreak. In fact, most therapists and psychologists have switched to teletherapy since the beginning of the outbreak. Many mental health providers now offer extended hours, considering they are working from home, while others have started cutting their rates to help those with limited financial resources.
How the Pandemic Can Affect Your Mental Health
Everyone is reacting to the pandemic differently, but we’ve started noticing some trends among the nation’s healthcare providers:
Doctors Helping Doctors
If the coronavirus outbreak leads to a wave of PTSD cases, many healthcare providers may find themselves on the other side of the doctor-patient relationship if they choose to seek care.
Doctors and care providers often don’t make the best patients. Some providers believe that as a trained medical professional, they should be able to take care of themselves. Others may choose to focus on the health and wellbeing of their patients instead of dealing with their own feelings and mental health.
Some care providers will be more open to the idea of going to therapy and working through their PTSD than others, but everyone should be able to find the care they need during this time.
Tips for Managing Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Keep these ideas in mind to make sure your team can handle the added stress and anxiety of working during the pandemic. Help is only a phone call away.
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