More than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, a novel strain of coronavirus, and cases continue to surge in communities across the country. But for frontline medical workers, particularly those working in emergency rooms and treating COVID-19 patients, the fight has only just begun.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 515 healthcare workers have died so far after contracting COVID-19 with 34 percent of cases still unreported a larger, potentially even more deadly crisis is looming. For doctors, nurses, hospital cleaners, and other staff members on the front lines nearly 80 percent of whom are women, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics it's their mental health that has been devastated, and this country is beyond ill-equipped to help them repair it.
"Trauma does not have a timeline, so we will be seeing the ramifications from this for a while and need to be prepared to step up and help in the long run," Jessi Gold, MD, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis, told POPSUGAR. Dr. Gold explained that physicians and other healthcare workers already faced unique challenges, but she expects that "we will see more burnout, depression, anxiety, substance use, and PTSD. I think we will see people leave medicine or have trouble returning to work because of it."
Prior to COVID-19, physicians were already at a higher risk of suicide. A 2019 analysis published in PLos One found that female physicians and those making life and death decisions may be particularly vulnerable, and all medical workers would benefit from preventative strategies implemented in the workplace. It's estimated that anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of physicians suffer from substance abuse, according to a 2007 study published in Critical Care Medicine.
But COVID-19 has exacerbated these risks. One emergency room doctor in New York City, Lorna Breen, died by suicide after treating COVID-19 patients and recovering from COVID-19 herself. "She went down in the trenches and was killed by the enemy on the front line," Philip Breen, Lorna's father, told CNN. "She loved New York and wouldn't hear about living anywhere else. She loved her coworkers and did what she could for them."
LJ Punch, MD, a trauma surgeon in St. Louis, MO, has also been fighting in the trenches. "The first wave of COVID-19 was like a flood. I felt like I was both underwater and at the same time well prepared to swim," Dr. Punch told POPSUGAR. But eventually, the work began to take a toll. "Taking care of room after room of ICU patients behind isolation walls and separated from their families was emotionally taxing. Having complex conversations over the phone about life and death decisions that would typically occur in person where families could feel and touch their loved one was difficult, frustrating, and sometimes really sad," Dr. Punch said. "It felt like we were all floating, unable to ascend to the surface to breathe."
Dr. Punch first realized they wanted to pursue a career in medicine after surviving a suicide attempt their freshman year of college. That near-tragedy, coupled with the evolution of their gender identity, made Dr. Punch feel more equipped than most to handle the heartbreak and stress that comes with caring for COVID-19 patients, though they added that as a Black person, the unrest that has emerged during the pandemic is both a relief and "a source of constant tension in my body." To that end, "I am grateful that I was already connected to a large network of community resources to be able to do that kind of engagement even in the midst of such suffering," Dr. Punch explained. "I don't think I would have been as resilient if I was not spending as much time in the community outside of the hospital as I have been."
Of course, not everyone has community resources available to them, and being a woman, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or a person of color seeking mental health care presents an entirely new set of challenges.
It's especially troubling that, for years, women who now make up such a large portion of the workforce in hospitals were dismissed as "hysterical" or "emotional" when they were clearly struggling. Dr. Gold told POPSUGAR that she has had patients who didn't seek help because they thought they were simply too emotional or their mood swings were related to their period. "We very much internalize the messages we hear from others, and it can lead to women not seeking or recognizing the need for help themselves," Dr. Gold said.
These internalized messages aren't the only things working against the women fighting COVID-19 on the front lines. There's also the staggering lack of mental health resources and the prevailing stigma surrounding mental illness. In many cases, women have also been conditioned to prioritize others over themselves. One study published in BMJ found that being a woman and having children increases your psychological risk.
The medical community as a whole doesn't encourage workers to seek mental health care, either. A 2016 survey of women physicians found that half believed they had a mental illness but did not seek treatment. Fears that they'll be perceived as weak, lose their medical license, or be judged by their coworkers keep those who need support from seeking it, putting them at greater risk of burnout, substance abuse, and suicide.
"Medicine as a culture is stoic," Dr. Gold said. "It is modeled by the people who train you, and you learn to 'suck it up' and do your work and work the shifts you're asked to work. You're asked to sleep less, eat less, keep going (some specialities more than others), and to learn what you need to do and do what you have to do. As such, emotions are not given space or prioritized and, often, not modeled."
While the system medical and social is not set up to support these frontline workers, there are things we, as a culture and in our own communities, can do to help those who are continuing to treat COVID-19 patients, clean the hospital rooms they're being treated in, and provide an essential service at a time of so much duress and uncertainty.
"Give them space to feel and validate and support their feelings," Dr Gold said. "Know the warning signs and actually look for them in your friends who are healthcare workers. Ask them if they're OK, and point them towards resources." Some of those resources include forthefrontlines.org, which provides counseling for frontline medical workers, and Project Parachute, a support network for frontline healthcare workers and therapists.
"Also, consider advocating for them to get basic needs, like child care, sick and parental leave, hazard pay, and personal protective equipment," Dr. Gold continued. "This will make doing their lives and navigating the stressors of their jobs simultaneously easier. This will also protect them and their families, and in turn protect their mental health." Zero to Three offers an online child care advocacy toolkit, PL+US offers resources and campaigns on advocating for paid sick and family leave, and you can search for your congressional representation online to tell them to pass legislation that will provide hazard pay for frontline medical workers.
In many ways, as a country, we have failed healthcare workers. In New York state alone, it's estimated that COVID-19 deaths could have been reduced by 80 percent if politicians had acted sooner. We have left these medical professionals with very little to no necessary resources as their emergency rooms have been overwhelmed, and all we've done to show our appreciation is label them heroes and shell out money to have the Blue Angels fly over their cities.
What these healthcare workers really need is support unwavering, tangible support so they can continue to live healthy lives, both mentally and physically.
Read the rest here:
We're Facing a Mental Health Crisis in Healthcare Workers, the Majority of Whom Are Women - POPSUGAR
- UNM researcher is advancing HIV Prevention and Health Equity for Native Americans - Albuquerque Journal - November 16th, 2024
- CVS Health expands access to primary care services at select MinuteClinic locations - CVS Health - November 16th, 2024
- Decrease in syphilis diagnoses among gay men most likely linked to preventive antibiotic use - NBC News - November 16th, 2024
- Breakthrough T1D Leads Effort to Make Screening for T1D Part of Recommended Preventive Services in the US - cnhinews.com - November 16th, 2024
- Pakistan Has The Worlds Highest Diabetes Prevalence - And Lacks Focus On Prevention - Health Policy Watch - November 16th, 2024
- Herbal medicine shows great potential in treating and preventing dementia - Earth.com - November 16th, 2024
- Health and Wellness Market to Grow by USD 1.93 Trillion (2024-2028), Driven by Rising Focus on Health Programs, AI-Powered Report Highlights Market... - November 16th, 2024
- Care for body and mind. And important prevention. - KODA Storyboard - November 16th, 2024
- The 8th World Integrative Medicine Congress - Preventive Care as a Priority, Universal Health for All - openPR - November 16th, 2024
- World Pneumonia Day 2024: 6 symptoms of pneumonia in the elderly - Health shots - November 16th, 2024
- Mercks Clesrovimab (MK-1654), an Investigational Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Preventative Monoclonal Antibody, Significantly Reduced Incidence... - October 22nd, 2024
- New Strategies to Extend the HIV Treatment Cascade for CVD Prevention - Infectious Disease Special Edition - October 22nd, 2024
- Shea fights breast cancer with family support - nwestiowa.com - October 22nd, 2024
- Cancer hospitals' cancer prevention plansand what's foiling them - Newsweek - October 22nd, 2024
- The Wright Medicine: Breast Cancer Awareness Month a time to tout preventive measures - Valley Advantage - October 22nd, 2024
- Prevention and Management of Urolithiasis With Parsley and Barley Among the Hail Population, Saudi Arabia: Is It Fact or Not? - Cureus - October 22nd, 2024
- Leveraging Patient Data for Early Healthcare Interventions: Insights from Gerard Hanratty of Browne Jacobson - Healthcare Digital - October 22nd, 2024
- Why Wes Streetings prevention agenda is sinister - The Spectator - October 22nd, 2024
- An injectable HIV-prevention drug is highly effective but wildly expensive - NBC News - September 13th, 2024
- Top preventive health tips your internist wants you to know - American Medical Association - September 13th, 2024
- National Falls Prevention Week: Turning awareness into action - McKnight's Long-Term Care News - September 13th, 2024
- UToledo Health Mobile Clinic Takes Preventative Care on the Road - UToledo News - September 13th, 2024
- Twice-Yearly Injection Cuts HIV Risk by 96%, But Will Cost Cut Access? - The Mercury - Manhattan, Kansas - September 13th, 2024
- Von der Leyen to ramp up EU healthcare union and focus on preventative treatment - MedWatch - September 13th, 2024
- Kate Middleton's preventative chemotherapy explained: The gruelling drugs that are proven to stop disease retu - Daily Mail - September 13th, 2024
- Personalised prevention in England - The Health Foundation - September 13th, 2024
- Stay on top of your fur baby's health: the importance of scheduling routine vet visits - FoxReno.com - May 17th, 2023
- Preventive healthcare - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Health and Why Is It Important? - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Medicine & Why Do We Need It? | AUC - February 16th, 2023
- Preventive Medicine | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - December 3rd, 2022
- Migraine - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic - December 3rd, 2022
- Functional Medicine of Idaho | Preventative Root Cause Medicine - December 3rd, 2022
- These 2 Staten Island nurses believe IV hydration drips and vitamin shots are key to long-term health - SILive.com - December 3rd, 2022
- CNBCTV-18 and IIM-K's India@2047 Leadership Series: Challenges and opportunities in the fintech and healthcare sectors - Forbes India - December 3rd, 2022
- As N.W.T. mulls health coverage changes, petition calls for preventative HIV drug to be free - CBC.ca - September 20th, 2022
- EU regulator backs wider use of AstraZeneca COVID therapy - Reuters - September 20th, 2022
- Choose integrative medicine for health and wellness - Technique - September 20th, 2022
- The high hospital bills we make victims of rape and sexual violence pay - Vox.com - September 20th, 2022
- 4 Anti-Aging Products Youre Using All Wrong, According To Skincare Experts - SheFinds - September 20th, 2022
- Why Now is the Time to Double Down on Virtual Care - HIT Consultant - September 20th, 2022
- Tell Giselle: The price of good help is priceless - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader - September 20th, 2022
- Heron Therapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Approval of APONVIE (HTX-019) for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) - BioSpace - September 20th, 2022
- Pickleball injuries are on the rise: 5 preventive tips to keep you on the court - The Manual - September 20th, 2022
- The next big social movement and other takeaways from our regular meeting - POLITICO - September 20th, 2022
- 15 Mushrooms and How to Use Them in Vegan Cooking - VegNews - September 20th, 2022
- Use of honey in the management of Chemotherapy | CMAR - Dove Medical Press - September 20th, 2022
- Celebrity Strategy Consultant Predicts What Will Be The Most Impactful Area In The Pharmaceutical Industry - Forbes - September 20th, 2022
- C2C Care Course The Preservation of Our Global Photographic Heritage: Here, There and Everywhere - aam-us.org - August 3rd, 2022
- Loneliness: Causes, Effects And Prevention Forbes Health - Forbes - August 3rd, 2022
- Prevention and wellness is the new model, a leader from Henry Ford Health System says - Becker's Hospital Review - August 3rd, 2022
- FACT SHEET: White House Summit on Building Lasting Eviction Prevention Reform - The White House - August 3rd, 2022
- Getting Back to Employer Health and Wellness Programs - Cone Health - August 3rd, 2022
- Do ICDs Still Work in Primary Prevention Given Today's HF Meds? - Medscape - August 3rd, 2022
- Alzheimer's-defying brain offers clues to treatment, prevention - Harvard Gazette - August 3rd, 2022
- Wind-fanned lightning fire prompted precautionary evacuation notices near Medical Springs Sunday evening - Baker City Herald - August 3rd, 2022
- Experts discuss importance of cancer screenings and early detection - Merck - August 3rd, 2022
- King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research to test samples for monkeypox - The Hindu - August 3rd, 2022
- Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations - World - ReliefWeb - August 3rd, 2022
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta: While monkeypox cases rise, why are we waiting for the cavalry to rescue us? - CNN - August 3rd, 2022
- SCYNEXIS Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration - GlobeNewswire - August 3rd, 2022
- Governor Whitmer declares August 2022 as Breastfeeding Month, highlights additional breastfeeding observances - Michigan (.gov) - August 3rd, 2022
- New student education program supports drug and alcohol abuse prevention - The Ohio State University News - July 25th, 2022
- Suicide prevention training for health care providers a first step in longer-term efficacy - University of Washington - July 25th, 2022
- Pharmalittle: Congress may miss deadline to pass FDA user-fee bill; ViiV is urged to lower price for its HIV prevention drug - STAT - July 25th, 2022
- Prevention of Bipolar Disorder Episodes: Is It Possible? - PsychCentral.com - July 25th, 2022
- GAO Found Gap in Dirty Bomb Prevention - Government Technology - July 25th, 2022
- Florida man in apparent medical distress crashes car through beach crowd before hitting the water - CNN - July 25th, 2022
- Study: Preventive care scarce in LGBTQ+ community - - Medical Marketing and Media - July 25th, 2022
- The rise of preventive insurance purchases in India - ETHealthWorld - July 25th, 2022
- Why Are My Feet Always Cold? Cold Feet Causes and Treatment - Prevention Magazine - July 25th, 2022
- Agency looking to open overdose prevention site in Saint John amid 'poisoned' drug supply - CBC.ca - July 25th, 2022
- UVA Expert Offers Insight on the Use of Dietary Supplements for Cancer Prevention - UVA Today - July 25th, 2022
- Alzheimer's: Targeting key protein in blood may slow progression - Medical News Today - July 25th, 2022
- NPPC, FAS focused on ASF prevention in the Philippines - MEAT+POULTRY - July 25th, 2022
- Implementation of IPT in people living with HIV | RMHP - Dove Medical Press - July 25th, 2022
- NL starts preventive vaccination against monkeypox in Amsterdam, The Hague - NL Times - July 25th, 2022
- Precautionary measures you can take against brain haemorrhage - Times of India - July 25th, 2022
- Acid Reflux and Liver Disease: Signs, Symptoms and Prevention - Healthline - July 25th, 2022
- What to do if you get an allergic reaction: symptoms, causes, and prevention - Fox News - July 25th, 2022