Problem area
The COVID-19 pandemic put an enormous amount of pressure and stress on the healthcare workers. This resulted in the increase in mental distress and illnesses among medical professionals from burnout to prolonged severe issues. Almost half of them experience burnout with more than quarter reporting depressive and anxious moods and symptoms (Spoorthy et al., 2020). This not only negatively impacts the health of the workers but has a potential to disrupt the whole healthcare system.
Policy
The high level of stress the pandemic puts on front-line workers, including healthcare professionals, is being recognized in the field. In July 2022, a new national suicide hotline is set to launch (Geoffroy et al., 2020). Furthermore, lawmakers are working on passing the Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act, named after a physician who died by suicide (Sindhu & Adashi, 2022).
Brief Explanation
I wish to study this topic because of its immediate importance not only to medical community but the well-being of the whole world. Struggling with mental health issues as many people during the COVID-19 pandemic, I also can personally relate to this issue. However, beyond my personal motivation, I recognize how this problem has a tremendous effect above the individual level. This is highly relevant topic right now because the global health depends on the measures and policies implemented at this stage. It is crucial to curb and address this crisis, preventing from possible escalation because, as the pandemic showed, any disruption in the healthcare system can cause disproportionate loss of lives (Spoorthy et al., 2020). Moreover, compared to COVID-19, declining mental health in medical staff is not one massive challenge but rather a systematic problem that has potential to degrade the system. Thus, I am determined to evaluate the effectiveness of the current policies, aiming at getting closer to the compehensive solution.
References
Geoffroy, P. A., Le Goanvic, V., Sabbagh, O., Richoux, C., Weinstein, A., Dufayet, G., & Lejoyeux, M. (2020). Psychological support system for hospital workers during the Covid-19 outbreak: rapid design and implementation of the Covid-Psy hotline. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 511. Web.
Sindhu, K. K., & Adashi, E. Y. (2022). The Dr Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act: A Modest Step in the Right Direction. JAMA Health Forum, 3(9). Web.
Spoorthy, M. S., Pratapa, S. K., & Mahant, S. (2020). Mental health problems faced by healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic–A review. Asian journal of psychiatry, 51. Web.