COVID-19: international study assesses emotional responses of frontline healthcare workers

All healthcare professionals who have been and/or are still directly involved in treating patients with Covid-19 are invited to participate in this study.

CP
Cristina Pinto
07 december, 2021≈ 3 min read

Translation by Diana Taborda

A team of researchers from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCEUC) is taking part in an international study promoted by the Compassionate Mind Foundation, which aims to better understand the emotional experiences of healthcare professionals who have been or are at the forefront of treating patients with Covid-19.

In order to reach as many healthcare professionals in Portugal as possible, the team, coordinated by Marcela Matos - researcher at the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention at FPCEUC - is looking for volunteers to take part in the research.

All healthcare professionals who have been and/or are still directly involved in treating patients with Covid-19 are invited to participate in this study, namely professionals from Internal Medicine, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Emergency Services and Pulmonology from hospital centres in the country. To participate, please click here (in Portuguese). The research team "declares that all privacy, confidentiality of information and anonymity will be guaranteed".

"There is growing evidence that frontline healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19 have experienced difficult emotional reactions, which may be associated with an increase in anxiety symptoms, depression, trauma and burnout. This study aims to improve understanding of the complex nature of the emotional experiences of frontline healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients," explains Marcela Matos, coordinator of the study in Portugal.

In addition," adds the CINEICC researcher and FPCEUC professor, "these professionals have had to cope with constant physical and emotional exhaustion, as well as deep sadness, which, in addition to the specificity of this unprecedented tragic situation - the COVID-19 pandemic - has created a unique experience that is quite different from other types of personal trauma".

According to Marcela Matos, understanding the emotional experiences of these professionals will help to develop "specific strategies to promote mental health and well-being, to try to help them deal with the situation and alleviate some of the difficulties they experience".