Macroeconomics

Intensive care medicine

Health care

Depression (economics)

Longitudinal study

Psychiatry

Economics

Anxiety

Patient Health Questionnaire

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

Somatization

Coping (psychology)

Mental health

Distress

Medicine

Depressive symptoms

Economic growth

Clinical psychology

Intensive care

Pathology

Acta Clinica Belgica

A prospective longitudinal single-centre study to assess the mental health impact of COVID-19 on nurses working in the frontline during the first wave of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Belgium, 2020.The study was performed between April 1st and 30 June 2020. Nurses who were actively and daily involved in the care of COVID-19 patients on selected intensive care units (ICU) and non-ICU wards were included. Depression, somatization, anxiety and distress scores were calculated using the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ). The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Brief-COPE questionnaires were used to assess respectively the psychological impact and coping strategies. Participants were asked to fill in the questionnaire at the start of inclusion, 4 weeks later and 8 weeks later.In total, 39/42 included nurses participated in the study. 4DSQ results showed low rates of depression, anxiety and somatization with a declining trend over time. Distress scores however were high throughout the study period. A past history of stress symptoms was significantly associated with higher distress scores at the inclusion and one month follow-up. As major psychological impact, more participants experienced 'intrusion' compared to 'avoidance' specifically among nurses working on ICU. In 10% of participants, IES-R-scores were predictive for post-traumatic stress disorder.Healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients during the pandemic reported high and enduring distress scores and experienced a major impact on mental health, especially when employed at ICU. These results highlight the importance of psychological support and proper long-term follow-up to mitigate this impact.

Mental health impact of COVID-19 in frontline healthcare workers in a Belgian Tertiary care hospital: a prospective longitudinal study