Impact of infection outbreak on long-term care staff: A rapid review on psychological well-being (13 July 2020)

Summary

Older people and people with an intellectual disability who receive long-term care are considered particularly vulnerable to infection outbreaks, such as the current coronavirus pandemic. The combination of healthcare concerns and infection-related restrictions may result in specific challenges for long-term care staff serving these populations during infection outbreaks.

This review from Embregts et al. aimed to: (1) provide insight about the potential impact of infection outbreaks on the psychological state of healthcare staff and (2) explore suggestions to support and protect their psychological well-being.

They found that research into support for long-term care staff during an infection outbreak is scarce. Without conscious management, policy and research focus, the needs of this professional group may remain underexposed in current and future infection outbreaks. The content synthesis and reflection on it in this article provide starting points for new research and contribute to the preparation for future infection outbreaks.