Last year researchers hypothesized the global pandemic was saddling medical workers with more mental-health disturbances than the general public. A survey of more than 600 representative individuals in eight European countries is challenging that intuitive assumption.
Neele Oetjen, MSc, of Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany and colleagues sent questionnaires last spring, during peak COVID-19 periods, to people living and working in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Portugal, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Completed forms came in from 189 physicians, 165 nurses and 255 nonmedical professionals employed in healthcare and other lines of work.
Oetjen and co-researchers found the latter group had significantly higher scores for depression and anxiety than the doctors and nurses.
This held even when the researchers focused on medical workers who regularly had direct contact with COVID-19 patients.
Presenting the findings in the Journal of Medical Internet Research this month, Oetjen and co-authors show, for example, that 57% of nonmedical professionals self-reported severe depression versus 48% for medical professionals.
Meanwhile the two groups reported about equal overall levels of mental distress.
“These results are encouraging in the sense that the medical professionals—although confronted with difficult challenges and risks—seemed to be mentally well prepared to handle the pandemic situation,” the authors comment in their discussion. “A possible explanation could be, however, that their medical background helped them to better understand and classify COVID-19–related information when compared to their nonmedical counterparts. When they could feel self-sufficient, the situation appeared more manageable for them.”
Full study report here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.