Our subgroup analysis found that the prevalence of anxiety remained at a high level in 2020 and 2021, and showed a significant downward trend in 2022. When interpreting the pooled prevalence estimates calculated in this review and meta-analysis, it is need to note that the percentage of variability (I2) in the prevalence estimates due to heterogeneity was very high. This not only had a negative impact on the physical and mental health and interpersonal relationships of medical personnel, but also affected their attitudes toward work and their efficiency. It was estimated that the prevalence rate of post-traumatic stress disorder was significantly different in different regions (pTwenty-two studies used the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) , and the combined prevalence rate of all these studies was estimated at 32% (95% CI, 23%-41%), which was the highest.

5.1 The mental health and well-being of HCWs since the COVID-19 pandemic

These conditions not only had adverse effects on healthcare workers, but had serious adverse consequences for their co-workers, families, and society in general . Additional research is required to develop measures to prevent, monitor and treat psychological disorders among healthcare workers. Occupationally, 16.2% of the healthcare workers were doctors, 63.6% were nurses and 13.3% were other medical staff. Subgroup analyses were performed based on time of data collection; whether the country was or was not developed; continent; doctors and nurses; doctors/nurses vs. other healthcare workers; and psychological evaluation scale.

Study Quality

In summary, employers in the healthcare sector can take practical steps to improve the mental wellbeing of workers, which can have a positive impact on the quality of healthcare services provided and patient satisfaction. This can help develop new policies and practices that promote a healthier and more fulfilling work environment for healthcare workers. On the other hand, younger healthcare workers may be more familiar with technology and medical advances, which can make it more difficult for older workers to keep up with and adapt to changes (Chen, 2020).

The mental resilience of the professionals has been highly affected by the nature of healthcare roles, calling for adequate job resources that can ease out these adverse circumstances. In the healthcare landscape which is known for its challenge and dynamic setting, these requirements have led to increasing stress, emotional exhaustion, and possible mental stress, among others (Fofana et al., 2020; Sahashi et al., 2021). Perhaps more unique to our study is the stigmatisation within the healthcare system and healthcare professionals, as both stigmatisers and stigmatised, and its impact on PMI’s therapeutic process and recovery. The present study elucidated several determinants of stigma from the perspective of healthcare professionals working closely with PMI. To attenuate the impact of healthcare stigma identified in this study, there is a need to also focus anti-stigma efforts on HP, and we postulate that it would be helpful to take reference from the work by Knaak and colleagues . A recent Singaporean study revealed that while doctors in mental health settings were more likely to experience moderate stigma, nurses were more likely to experience both moderate and high associative stigma .

• Shi et al. showed that primary healthcare workers reported high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms in China during the pandemic.
• Health workers were more likely to report poor working conditions than other workers.
• A prior history of mental health disorders increased the likelihood of COVID-19-related psychiatric distress, though many without a prior history of mental health disorders also reported experiencing anxiety and depression.
• Investigating these factors altogether as a network allows us to capture their combined and unique contributions within a single comprehensive model.

To date, there has yet to be any qualitative study that explored both stigma and recovery in Singapore, Motivational interviewing for behavior change specifically from the healthcare professionals’ (HP) perspective. This was largely explored in a qualitative study by Vayshenker and colleagues, postulating that associative stigma experienced by these healthcare professionals can lead to severe consequences in the quality of care provided to PMI . Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 17 healthcare professionals who were working in mental health settings in Singapore.

Then we should be swiftly delivering those initiatives with the same priority given to other COVID-19 interventions. The old approach of telling clinicians to maintain a stiff upper lip and download meditation apps for stress relief is not the antidote,” writes Feist. Many burdened by student loans will not even have the option of quitting but will suffer from festering, unaddressed mental wounds unless urgent action is taken. Public tributes such as the nightly cheering and clapping and hero-worship were juxtaposed with a refusal to wear masks and take other public health precautions.

Thus, it is imperative to provide necessary mental health support for healthcare staff during these times. For too long, the responsibility has been on the individual healthcare worker to recognize and manage their own stress, burnout or depression, with few avenues or tools made available for them to successfully do so. Practicing self-care can also help healthcare workers create some structure and predictability amidst chaos and uncertainty and make them able to manage high levels of stress in more constructive ways.