How to Cite:

Agarwal, H., Talwar, V., Anand, S., Goel, V., & Patnaik, N. (2022). Psychological challenges
encountered by health care professionals having a risk of accidental exposure and its
impact on their wellbeing in a non-covid hospital during the prevailing
pandemic. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S3), 816–822.
https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS3.5486

Psychological Challenges Encountered By

Health Care Professionals Having a Risk of
Accidental Exposure and Its Impact on Their
Wellbeing in a Non-Covid Hospital During the
Prevailing Pandemic

Harsha Agarwal
Head of department, Department of Psycho -oncology, Rajiv Gandhi
Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Sector 5, Rohini, New Delhi -110
085 India

Vineet Talwar
Head of department, Department of Medical oncology, Raj iv Gandhi
Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Sector 5, Rohini, New Delhi -110
085 India

Sakshita Anand
Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and social sciences,
Graphic Era (Deemed to be) university, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Varun Goel
Consultant, Department of Medical oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer
Institute and Research Centre, Sector 5, Rohini, New Delhi -110 085
India

Nivedita Patnaik
Attending consultant, Department of pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer
Institute and Research Centre, Sector 5, Rohini, New Delhi-110 085
India

Abstract---Health care professionals played and are still playing a

crucial role in containing the spread of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV 2).
While being a frontliner and saving the lives of patients, healthcare
professionals (HCP’s) have encountered physical but varied levels and
types of psychological challenges. Psychological challenges faced by
HCP’s at covid care centres have been highlighted by many researches
and publications. The purpose of this study was to highlight the

International Journal of Health Sciences ISSN 2550-6978 E-ISSN 2550-696X © 2022.

Corresponding author: Goel, V.; Email: [email protected]
Manuscript submitted: 18 Nov 2021, Manuscript revised: 09 Feb 2022, Accepted for publication: 27 March 2022
816
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psychological challenges encountered by HCP’s at a non-covid cancer

care institute. A self-designed survey about psychological challenges
(physical changes, anxiety, perceived fear, depression, awareness, and
positivity) experienced by HCP’s with purposive sampling (Doctors)
was conducted in a tertiary cancer care institute. Results revealed
that fear and anxiety of getting infected and infecting their significant
others was significantly high among HCP’s. To maintain an effective,
encouraging, and motivating workforce, psychological interventions
played a key role.

Keywords---psychological challenges, anxiety, COVID-19, healthcare

professionals, cancer care institute.

Introduction

According to WHO, COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus called

SARS-CoV-2. WHO first learned of this new virus on 31 December 2019, following
a report of a cluster of cases of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, People's Republic of
China. The first case of COVID-19 in India was reported on 30 January 2020 and
COVID 19 outbreak was formally declared as a pandemic on 11 March 2020 with
the publication of public health guidelines to guide the pandemic response 1.
Currently as reported, India has been among the countries on the top in tallies
having a maximum number (more than 26,000,000) of confirmed cases of COVID-
19 in Asia2.

Individuals having mild/moderate respiratory issues with COVID-19 infection

requires no major treatment/hospitalization. On the other hand, WHO has also
reported that populations above 60 years of age having co-morbidities (for
example- cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and
cancer) are at risk for getting infected easily than their non-co-morbid
counterparts 1. Healthcare professionals (HCP's) have been observed to be the
main power bank for charging up patients with positivity and optimism while
taking care of them being front liners in the pandemic. On the other side of the
coin, HCP's themselves suffered from depleted psychological health as a result of
workload, fear, anxieties, and uncertainties revolving around them 3-7 which
pushed them to be at risk of developing psychological trauma/disorders.

An increasing number of healthcare professionals around the world are getting

involved in the crisis. They have a crucial role and are making a great
contribution, but they have also faced and are still facing great challenges in their
day-to-day activities. Their safety and health are of great concern for patient care
and regular support to control the outbreak of pandemics 8. A line of quantitative
studies revealed the risk of deteriorated psychological health of healthcare
professionals while treating patients with and without COVID-19 during this
pandemic9. The purpose of this research was to explore the psychological
challenges encountered by the healthcare professionals at tertiary cancer care
centre, in northern India and the impact of those challenges on their wellbeing in
the prevailing pandemic using a self-designed and self-report questionnaire.
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Method

The self-made questionnaire for the survey consisted of 26 closed-ended items

that took approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. The 26 item questionnaire
consisted of items indicating symptoms of physiological changes experienced
during the pandemic, anxiety, depression, fear, levels of awareness and positivity,
and the source of perceived coping. For the survey, doctors (n = 111) of tertiary
cancer care Centre, directly or indirectly involved in the patient care (i.e.
Diagnosis, treatment, care) of the patient with COVID-19 were targeted.

Results and Discussion

The present study gave an insight into the healthcare workers in tertiary cancer
care institute. In unprecedented times the health care workers were the real
warriors. Thus, the training is given before help such a pandemic became very
important. The results show that the healthcare workers at tertiary cancer care
center were well prepared for dealing with such exceptional times and came out
as true warriors in fighting against COVID-19 and being of great help to the
people admitted to the hospital.

Figure 1. Physical Changes Perceived by Doctors during COVID-19

Figure 2. Anxiety during COVID-19

As can be seen from Figure 1, the health care professionals showed only slight
concern about their reduced energy level, bodily pains and discomfort, and
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disturbed sleep patterns. Due to the long hours of working conditions toward the
admitted patients of COVID-19 which flowed in large number odd hours
throughout the day, even at odd hours. Figure 2 shows that the level of anxiety
was also very less among the healthcare workers. The worry and uncertainty of
this pandemic did not discourage them and they were ready to take control of
things. This shows that the healthcare workers at the study site are competent to
deal with unmatched situations. The in-house psycho-oncology (counseling) team
was also very active in helping the healthcare staff to relax and to discharge their
emotions if any through catharsis.

Figure 3. Perceived Fear during COVID-19

Figure 4. Depression among Doctors during COVID-19

Figure 3 reveals that there were slight concerns about developing COVID-19 from
the patients. Since the healthcare workers were in close contact while giving
treatment to the patients, the perceived susceptibility seems to be high. The
doctors who were on the frontline feared that they might also develop the
coronavirus and lose their lives as the nature of this disease was such that
physical distance was the only protection from it. Figure 4 gives us an insight that
most of the healthcare workers felt depressed while the course of the pandemic.
The healthcare workers had to be incompletely isolated from their families where
they could not meet their loved ones for days and their hours of the working
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period increased where they hardly got any time for themselves. Such conditions
made them irritable, angry, lonely, and sad.

Figure 5. Awareness and Positivity during COVID-19

Figure 5 shows that there was a very high level of awareness and positivity among
the healthcare workers of the tertiary cancer care Centre. The medical staff on the
frontline was very optimistic about the approach toward the treatment of their
patients. They were ready to give in extra hours understanding the expectations
to work unconditionally irrespective of the personal risk involved. Overall, they
seemed content during these challenging times. The regular psychological training
for handling crises and being in a single specialty that to oncology with most
uncertainties in the line of treatments helped the HCW's a lot.

According to researches done during the pandemic, lack of perceived support by

HCP's during the time of the rise in confirmed cases & below the mark of PPE
significantly contributed to the rise of psychological issues and depletion of the
wellbeing of HCP's. With increasing cases and selfless involvement in treating
COVID-19 cases, HCP’s have put them under the self-scanner and have been
undergoing psychological trauma as a result of the thought process - of being a
source of infection to their family, friends, colleagues, and society as well. HCP's
have been targeted unexpectedly for spreading COVID-193,4 in the general
population due to there, even accidental, exposure with patients having COVID-
19. Due to this thought process, HCP’s isolated themselves unconditionally to
protect others from getting infected5,7,10 which in turn hampered their quality of
life and work as well4,10 due to persistent stress and anxiety.

Many researchers revealed the risk of psychological vulnerabilities of HCP's while

dealing with COVID-19 patients. It has been observed by Greenberg et al.,11 Dai et
al.,12 and Chew et.al.,13 HCP’s involved in the care of COVID-19 patients
experience different levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, and
psychosomatic symptoms. Psychologically safeguarding HCP's is important to
maintain their effectiveness and efficiency in dealing the patients without biases
and fear of getting stigmatized7,14
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Conclusion

The present study made us understand and acknowledge psychological as well

physical challenges encountered by HCP's during this pandemic. During COVID-
19, the hospital did not seem to be equipped to deal with such a pandemic. There
was fear and anxiety of getting infected and also infecting their loved ones back
home was high but the healthcare workers at a tertiary cancer care site remained
positive and cheerful despite being faced with long tiring hours of work, sleepless
nights, and being away from family. The psycho-oncology team of the institute
played a significant role in maintaining and enhancing the psychological
adaptation of HCP’s with the current scenario at the study site. The team has
taken proactive steps to let HCP’s understand the importance of Psychological
wellbeing and safeguard their psychological health for effective as well efficient
performance. HCP’s were regularly provided with emotional and psychosocial
support, sessions to de-stigmatized staff (those handling COVID19 patients and
also who came in contact with a positive patient) behavior and actions as well.
Staff members were actively monitored and motivated through regular and need
basis virtual counseling and psychological training sessions to reinforce
individuals and teams to come forward and participate in patient care and by
providing regular platforms to discuss wellbeing, stress, and burnout.
Limitations: The current study was conducted only at one center and that too
with a super specialty in Oncology thus the results can't be generalized to other
health care workers. In tertiary cancer care hospital, regular psychological
training is imparted to the Staff of the hospital thus it becomes an imperative part
for the results to be generalized.

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