RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prevalence and dynamic features of psychological issues among Chinese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis
JF General Psychiatry
JO Gen Psych
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e100344
DO 10.1136/gpsych-2020-100344
VO 34
IS 3
A1 Huijuan Zhang
A1 Wei Li
A1 Hui Li
A1 Caidi Zhang
A1 Jinjing Luo
A1 Yikang Zhu
A1 Hui Wu
A1 Zhuoying Zhu
A1 Yifeng Xu
A1 Jijun Wang
A1 Chunbo Li
YR 2021
UL http://gpsych.bmj.com/content/34/3/e100344.abstract
AB Background The COVID-19 pandemic has placed tremendous pressure on healthcare workers who are at the frontline in the battle against it, causing various forms of psychological distress.Aims To outline the prevalence and dynamic changing features of medical workers’ psychological issues and to review the related national policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.Methods We systematically searched for studies on the psychological states of Chinese medical staff from 1 January 2020 to 8 May 2020. The aggregate prevalence of each psychological issue was calculated and plotted to observe the changes over time. Policies on psychological support for medical staff during the pandemic were reviewed to explore their link to the prevalence of psychological problems.Results In total, 26 studies were included in this study. A total of 22 062 medical workers were surveyed from 31 January to 27 February 2020. Medical staff exhibited a substantial prevalence of anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, stress-related symptoms and sleep problems during the survey period, with aggregate prevalence rates of 27.0%, 26.2%, 42.1% and 34.5%, respectively. Cumulative meta-analyses revealed that the prevalence of psychological distress peaked at the beginning of the pandemic and subsequently exhibited a slow downward trend.Conclusion Chinese medical staff displayed significant psychological disturbance during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was especially severe at the early stage. Implementing supportive policies may help alleviate ongoing psychological problems in healthcare workers.No additional data are available.