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Acute Stress in Health Workers during Two Consecutive Epidemic Waves of COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Kathrine Jáuregui Renaud

    (Unidad de Investigación Médica en Otoneurología, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Davis Cooper-Bribiesca

    (Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Elizabet Martínez-Pichardo

    (Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • José A. Miguel Puga

    (Unidad de Investigación Médica en Otoneurología, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Dulce M. Rascón-Martínez

    (Departamento de Anestesiología, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Luis A. Sánchez Hurtado

    (Departamento de Terapia Intensiva, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Tania Colin Martínez

    (Departamento de Admisión Continua, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Eliseo Espinosa-Poblano

    (Departamento de Inhaloterapia y Neumología, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Juan Carlos Anda-Garay

    (Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Jorge I. González Diaz

    (Departamento de Imagenología, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

  • Etzel Cardeña

    (Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology, Department of Psychology, Lund University, 22100 Lund, Sweden)

  • Francisco Avelar Garnica

    (Departamento de Imagenología, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked generalized uncertainty around the world, with health workers experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, and stress. Although the effects of the pandemic on mental health may change as it evolves, the majority of reports have been web-based, cross-sectional studies. We performed a study assessing acute stress in frontline health workers during two consecutive epidemic waves. After screening for trait anxiety/depression and dissociative experiences, we evaluated changes in acute stress, considering resilience, state anxiety, burnout, depersonalization/derealization symptoms, and quality of sleep as cofactors. During the first epidemic wave (April 2020), health workers reported acute stress related to COVID-19, which was related to state anxiety. After the first epidemic wave, acute stress decreased, with no increase during the second epidemic wave (December 2020), and further decreased when vaccination started. During the follow-up (April 2020 to February 2021), the acute stress score was related to bad quality of sleep. However, acute stress, state anxiety, and burnout were all related to trait anxiety/depression, while the resilience score was invariant through time. Overall, the results emphasize the relevance of mental health screening before, during, and after an epidemic wave of infections, in order to enable coping during successive sanitary crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathrine Jáuregui Renaud & Davis Cooper-Bribiesca & Elizabet Martínez-Pichardo & José A. Miguel Puga & Dulce M. Rascón-Martínez & Luis A. Sánchez Hurtado & Tania Colin Martínez & Eliseo Espinosa-Pobla, 2021. "Acute Stress in Health Workers during Two Consecutive Epidemic Waves of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:206-:d:711074
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bernat-Carles Serdà & Maria Aymerich & Josefina Patiño-Masó & Mònica Cunill, 2021. "Mental Health Screening of Healthcare Professionals Who Are Candidates for Psychological Assistance during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Joaquín M. González-Cabrera & María Fernández-Prada & Concepción Iribar & Rogelio Molina-Ruano & María Salinero-Bachiller & José M. Peinado, 2018. "Acute Stress and Anxiety in Medical Residents on the Emergency Department Duty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-9, March.
    3. Gabriele Giorgi & Luigi Isaia Lecca & Federico Alessio & Georgia Libera Finstad & Giorgia Bondanini & Lucrezia Ginevra Lulli & Giulio Arcangeli & Nicola Mucci, 2020. "COVID-19-Related Mental Health Effects in the Workplace: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-22, October.
    4. Nicola Magnavita & Paolo Maurizio Soave & Massimo Antonelli, 2021. "A One-Year Prospective Study of Work-Related Mental Health in the Intensivists of a COVID-19 Hub Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-12, September.
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