Psychological impact of disease outbreaks on healthcare workers: A narrative review

Abstract

Disease outbreaks can have an impact on one's mental health. A comprehensive knowledge about the psychological state of healthcare workers (HCWs) during disease outbreak is limited. This review aims to present HCWs' psychological issues due to multiple outbreaks in the past and present, including SARS, MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19. The results indicated the presence of affective symptoms, paranoia, and decreased trust among HCWs. The review reveals the need of research to understand strategies and interventions that can enhance the well-being of HCWs.

Keywords

• disease outbreak
• healthcare workers
• psychological issues