Importance of emotional well being of healthcare workers during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic

Dr. Sona Mitra

COVID19 has taken a toll on the Indian psyche. According to Indian Psychiatry Society, the number of mental health cases including depression and anxiety has risen by 20% since the lockdown was announced. These grim statistics are likely to paint an even grimmer picture for health care professionals.

Factors influencing mental health of healthcare workers

Healthcare workers are not just treating numerous critically ill patients, but they are also risking their own health. Initially there was only anxiety of getting infected. As the days passed, doctors witnessed higher rates of deaths and experienced breakdown of protocol (shortage of staff and PPE kits) and support in respective institutions (in the form of pay cuts). Others lost faith in their institutions as colleagues contracted the disease, a few succumbed amid shortage of PPE kits. These led to a sense of helplessness. Some of us decided to stay away from family to protect them from getting infected, which led to loneliness, distress and eventually depression.

Emotions are contagious just like the viruses. Doctors work in a daily atmosphere of severe emotional distress, worry and fear among the patients, relatives and other medical staff tend to internalize these negative emotions, and eventually become overwhelmed.

And despite all this, there is no guarantee that one is in a safe zone after working tirelessly in saving lives of COVID-19 positive patients. You survive a day at a time and then you have to get ready to take on the next day.

Some face moral anguish when they do not have adequate resources like ventilators to treat critically ill patients. Physicians are not trained to do triage in choosing who gets lifesaving support and who does not. This can be a heart-breaking choice that may leave a lasting psychological impact.

All these over a period of time will take a toll on one’s mental and physical health. Many experts predict that, put together these traumatic effects of the pandemic will reverberate long after the virus itself is contained.

What can one do to help oneself?

• Learn to share: First step to managing emotional disturbance is to acknowledge and examine your emotional reaction as it is not easy for healthcare professionals to admit to mental distress. Sharing helps because on many occasions one realise that the other person is going through similar situation and has come out of it. It helps because one realise YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE. Your friends and family can guide you, make good choices when you are unable to do it.

• Professional help: If you are unable to talk to close ones, you can always speak to a counsellor.

• Self care: Well-known factors associated with depression among doctors are lack of sleep, long shift duties and dealing with death.Life style changes in the form of good sleep, nutritious diet, physical exercise and meditation can help a lot.

• Medications: Antidepressant medications do help to control symptoms especially when one has suicidal tendencies.

Although these are difficult times, we have to remember that we are not alone. None of us were taught how to deal with such situations. Consider it to be a difficult phase in our life.

IT IS OK TO FEEL LOW, FEEL TIRED. IT IS OK TO CRY!

After all we are human beings. Ups and downs are part of our life. How we deal with it, is important. We are incredibly resilient. We did not get through medical college, internship and postgraduation without superhuman efforts. We will get through this as well. .