Health professionals have high rates of suicidal ideation in the pandemic, study finds

Health workers in 11 Latin American countries have “high rates” of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts, according to a study published this Thursday (13) by the WHO regional agency.

The report “The Covid-19 Health care wOrkErs Study (HEROES)” shows that between 14.7% and 22% of health professionals consulted in 2020 showed symptoms that allowed them to suspect a depressive episode, while between 5% and 15% recognize who thought of suicide, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The study was carried out by the universities of Chile and Columbia, in collaboration with PAHO, in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay.

“The pandemic has increased stress, anxiety and depression among health professionals and has revealed that countries have not developed specific policies to protect their mental health,” said Rubén Alvarado, a researcher at the University of Chile.

In some countries, only about a third of those who said they needed it received psychological care, according to a statement from the organization.

“The pandemic has highlighted the burnout of healthcare personnel and in countries where the healthcare system has collapsed, they have suffered from grueling journeys and ethical dilemmas that have impacted their mental health,” said Anselm Hennis, director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health. Opas mental

The mental health of professionals in the field was affected, among other reasons, by the need for emotional and financial support, concern about infecting family members, conflicts with relatives of infected people and changes in work functions, the study indicates.

Among the factors that protected the group’s mental health, the text highlights the confidence that institutions and the government could deal with the pandemic, count on the support of colleagues and be a spiritual or religious person.

To alleviate the problem, the report recommends modifying the work environment, improving salaries and contracts, and creating spaces for teams to vent.

It also advocates supporting the care of their children and the elderly under their care, “since the majority are women and caregivers”, in addition to facilitating access to mental health services.

“After two years of the pandemic, many workers still do not receive the support they need and this could lead them to develop different mental disorders in the coming years, something for which we have to be prepared,” warned Ezra Susser, a researcher at Columbia University. .

The study is based on interviews with 14,502 health professionals and had the participation of academics and researchers from dozens of institutions in the countries where it was carried out.

“The pandemic is not over. It is essential to take care of those who take care of us”, concluded Anselm Hennis.