How will COVID-19 affect the mental health of healthcare workers?

are under a lot of stress, it has led many to question their vocation and why did they decide to work in the health sector. Now they are facing even more pressure since they are in the frontlines against COVID-19 , sometimes they lack the necessary equipment to face it and protect themselves; moreover, they don’t know the real dimension of the disease they are fighting.

On the other hand, they are afraid of taking the virus home, which has driven many of these professionals to temporarily cut the communication with their families or stay away from their homes , a situation that is especially difficult for those who are single parents.

Moreover, their commitment as professionals and their responsibilities can make them feel angry and frustrated when their work doesn’t have positive results, and when they are questioned.

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The situation they are going through could result in post-traumatic stress , similar to survivors of disasters, violence, or torture. As a response to the stressful situation and without time to receive psychological attention, some healthcare workers block their emotions or become insensitive , something that harms the way they treat patients.

The pandemic has evidenced several problems. Besides halting the spread of COVID-19 , it is important to pay attention to the mental health of Mexicans, especially since the effect the isolation measures will have on society is still unknown, even when the quarantine wasn’t as strict and when the government didn’t impose curfews.

Authorities must prevent emotional and psychological damages to join the list of side effects caused by the novel coronavirus , which could turn into fear, anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, guilt, phobias, depression, loneliness, and desperation, among other feelings that have already pushed several patients and their family members to commit suicide . The mental health of a country is at stake.

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