Physical and stressful psychological impacts of prolonged personal protective equipment use during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 infected patients are exposed to stressful and traumatic events with potential for severe and sustained adverse mental and physical health consequences. Our aim was to assess the magnitude of physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) treating COVID-19 patients.

Methods

This cross-sectional study assessed the symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological resilience using the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE) scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Resilience Scale (RS), respectively, in Italy between 1st February and 31st March 2022. The physical outcomes reported included vertigo, dyspnea, nausea, micturition desire, retroauricula

SUBMITTER: Candido G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10241488 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature