Anxiety About the Risk of Death of Their Patients in Health Professionals in Spain: Analysis at the Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 health crisis has had a global effect, but the consequences in the different countries affected have been very different. In Spain, in a short period of time, health professionals went from a situation of stability to living with a working environment characterized by overcrowded hospitals, lack of individual protection equipment, non-existent or contradictory work protocols, as well as an unknown increase in mortality. Although in their professional activity health workers are closely linked to death processes, in recent months, working conditions and health emergencies have drawn an unheard of working scenario, with the stress and anxiety they may suffer when faced with the death of their patients. The present quantitative research was carried out in different hospitals in Spain on health professionals during the month of April 2020. Through the subscale of anxiety in the face of the death of others, developed by Collett–Lester, it has been verified that health professionals have had to develop their work in a context of precariousness, putting at risk both their individual and collective health, notably increasing anxiety in the face of the death of their patients. The predictive variables of this anxiety have been the absence of individual protection equipment, as well as high levels in the burnout subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

Burnout among Direct-Care Workers in Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Preventive and Educational Focus for Sustainable Workplaces

“…In this context, therefore, it is more urgent than ever to develop specialized training programs, both initial and continuing, for professionals in this field [54][55][56][57][58]. In particular, one should focus on exceptional situations that, as in the case of the pandemic, may increase the psychological impact that workers may suffer [59][60][61][62][63]. Today, the concept of sustainable work environments must be analyzed in the academic world, in initial training, and in professional training proposals [64][65][66].…”

Emotional Experience and Feelings during First COVID-19 Outbreak Perceived by Physical Therapists: A Qualitative Study in Madrid, Spain

“…In Spain, risk factors associated to psychological distress and the presence of intensive and severe negative emotions in healthcare professionals included the lack of enough PPE under working exposure, non-existent or contradictory work protocols, working 12–24 h, or being worried that a family member could be infected by the virus [ 5 , 8 , 33 ]. Moreover, social isolation, uncertainty, reluctance to work, or considering absenteeism were also frequently reported by Spanish healthcare professionals [ 28 ].…”

“…This situation has led to a potential psychological and emotional impact in healthcare professionals. Several studies have documented the presence of mood disorders, e.g., anxiety or depression, in healthcare professionals during the first COVID-19 outbreak [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In Spain, the number of healthcare professionals infected is one of the highest worldwide (95,000 infected approximately) [ 7 ].…”

Predictors of Burnout in Social Workers: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Scenario for Analysis

“…By mid-September, and in the middle of the second wave, the total number of cases in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic was 1,751,884, with 30,495 deaths, according to official figures [ 6 ]. In this state of affairs, and considering the statistics of an excess mortality of 22% [ 7 ], the essential professionals have had to exercise their profession, not exempt from the stress of the continuous exposure to the virus and the possible contagion, accentuated by the transmission to their relatives [ 8 ].…”