For the first time in more than a year, the bar of 6,000 patients hospitalized in critical care because of Covid-19 has been symbolically crossed, and the well-being of healthcare professionals is heavily impacted.
- In France, some hospitals have set up specific hotlines and psychological support programs for caregivers during the pandemic (relaxation, support, soothing physical activities, etc.).
- For example, the SPS association, which acts for the health of caregivers, set up, in 2016, a toll-free number (0 805 23 23 36), as well as a mobile application to provide psychological and personalized help.
While the Government is considering a relaxation of health restrictions, the bar of 6,000 people in intensive care because of Covid-19 was crossed in France on Monday April 26. Result: our caregivers, who take care of increasingly young patients, are suffering. 30% of health professionals say they suffer from anxiety, 31.1% from depressive symptoms, and 44% from sleep disorders, according to a new study by researchers from AP-HP, Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes and Cochin Hospital in Paris, in connection with the Fundamental Foundation. “Factors such as high workload, including at night, as well as daily stress strongly contribute to the appearance of sleep disorders”, comment the experts.
The bar of 6,000 diagnosed patients #Covid hospitalized in critical care is – symbolically – crossed this Monday, for the first time in more than a year (April 16, 2020). pic.twitter.com/Ev8Y2vGdKO
— Nicolas Berrod (@nicolasberrod) April 26, 2021
Symptoms of acute and post-traumatic stress
The prevalence of acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms also increased: up to 56.5% of caregivers experience acute stress, and 20.2% post-traumatic stress symptoms. “This high prevalence can be explained by traumatic or anxiety-provoking factors to which caregivers are exposed, such as the unpredictability of the daily workload, the burden of decision-making in particular situations, the high daily mortality rates or the recurring changes in hospital procedures”, comment the authors of the study.
For them, “These results reveal to us a worrying situation in the mental health status of caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in potential future health crises.”
“Targeted prevention and psychological support must be put in place”
“For the well-being of healthcare professionals and the quality of care during the pandemic, targeted prevention and psychological support must be put in place in such situations”, advocates Dr. Guessoum, psychiatrist at Cochin Hospital. “Targeted prevention and support strategies are needed more than ever, and at an early stage in the event of future health crises”, he adds.
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