Photo by Susan Merrell
During the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency department doctors, nurses and other frontline staff experienced unprecedented levels of stress and emotional exhaustion that included nightmares or insomnia, according to a UC San Francisco-led study of emergency departments across the country.
The study, among the first to assess mental health effects of the pandemic at a geographically diverse sample of emergency rooms, found that nearly one-fifth of the ER staff were at elevated risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study also reported that regular testing for COVID-19 helped to reduce stress among emergency personnel, particularly for those with previous positive antibody results.