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A Review of Psychological Issues among Patients and Healthcare Staff during Two Major Coronavirus Disease Outbreaks in China: Contributory Factors and Management Strategies

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  • Ka Ming Chow

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Bernard M.H. Law

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Marques S.N. Ng

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Dorothy N.S. Chan

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Winnie K.W. So

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Cho Lee Wong

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Carmen W.H. Chan

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

Outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have affected populations worldwide. Our literature review summarises the studies reporting psychological issues among healthcare staff and infected patients in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan during these two outbreaks and the potential strategies for addressing these issues. Our review shows that patients and healthcare staff presented similar psychological symptoms, including anxiety, fear, distress, and depression, which may lead to stress-related complications such as insomnia. In patients, these psychological impairments can be contributed to by being quarantined, perceptions of threats to life, and uncertainty about health status. Quarantine is also a factor for distress among healthcare staff, together with their heavy workload, the fear that they and their families would become infected, witnessing their patients’ poor and deteriorating conditions, and the requirement to wear protective gear. Strategies that are needed to address these factors include providing counselling services, implementing mindfulness-based therapies and optimism interventions, and providing telecommunication facilities for patients to communicate with their families. Healthcare staff should also be provided with these services, together with appropriate and flexible work shift arrangements and morale boosting. These strategies would improve not only the mental well-being of patients and healthcare staff, but also the self-efficacy and competence of the staff to provide quality healthcare services.

Suggested Citation

  • Ka Ming Chow & Bernard M.H. Law & Marques S.N. Ng & Dorothy N.S. Chan & Winnie K.W. So & Cho Lee Wong & Carmen W.H. Chan, 2020. "A Review of Psychological Issues among Patients and Healthcare Staff during Two Major Coronavirus Disease Outbreaks in China: Contributory Factors and Management Strategies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6673-:d:413078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Debanjan Banerjee & Mayank Rai, 2020. "Social isolation in Covid-19: The impact of loneliness," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(6), pages 525-527, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vladimir M. Cvetković & Neda Nikolić & Adem Ocal & Jovana Martinović & Aleksandar Dragašević, 2022. "A Predictive Model of Pandemic Disaster Fear Caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19): Implications for Decision-Makers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-27, January.

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