A Review of Protective and Risk Factors Affecting Psychosocial Health of Healthcare Workers in Pandemics

In pandemics, work load and stress levels increase significantly for healthcare systems in general and healthcare professionals in particular. Long working hours, difficult working environment conditions, the increase in the expectations and concerns of the society together with the number of patients, and the risks of getting infected themselves affect the overall psychosocial functionality and resilience of healthcare workers. In these periods, there is a need to work on protective and risk factors in order to provide supportive psychosocial services and programs for healthcare workers considering their increased risk of vulnerability levels. This review aims to review the protective and risk factors affecting the psychosocial health of healthcare workers during pandemics, based on literature information about recent outbreaks (SARS, MERS-CoV and mostly Covid-19 examples). The examination was limited to studies in which psychosocial variables were evaluated. Healthcare professionals may show the symptoms of psychiatric diorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout at a higher level in pandemics than the general population. Studies examining the psychosocial aspects of pandemics have shown that women and nurses are more affected. Adequate hygienic conditions, access to protective equipment, balanced working–resting hours, social and emotional support relationships between work teams and supportive services from management units are among the protective factors. In order to protect the psychosocial health of healthcare workers, they should be protected against stigmatization and socially supported.