Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Crisis: Recommendations for Action to Optimize Occupational Health in Mental Health Professionals in Europe

Jade Gourret Baumgart; Hélène Kane; Gaëtan Absil; Jocelyn Deloyer; Wissam El-Hage; Claudio Fuenzalida; Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean; Krzysztof Krysta; Laurent Le Saint; Donatella Marazziti; Margarita Moraitou; Merja Reunanen; Shyhrete Rexhaj; Johannes Thome; Laurence Fond-Harmant; Frédéric Denis

doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20220404

Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Crisis: Recommendations for Action to Optimize Occupational Health in Mental Health Professionals in Europe

Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2022 Aug;19(4):220-229. doi: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20220404.

Authors

Jade Gourret Baumgart^{1

2}, Hélène Kane^{1

2}, Gaëtan Absil³, Jocelyn Deloyer⁴, Wissam El-Hage⁵, Claudio Fuenzalida⁶, Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean⁷, Krzysztof Krysta⁸, Laurent Le Saint⁹, Donatella Marazziti^{10

11}, Margarita Moraitou¹², Merja Reunanen¹³, Shyhrete Rexhaj¹⁴, Johannes Thome¹⁵, Laurence Fond-Harmant^{16

17}, Frédéric Denis¹

Affiliations

¹ -EA 75-05 Laboratory of Education, Ethics, Health, Faculty of Medicine, François-Rabelais University, Tours, France.
² - These authors contributed equally to the present work.
³ - Laboratory of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Social Department, Haute Ecole Libre Mosane, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
⁴ - St-Martin Neuro Psychiatric Center, CNP St-Martin, Namur, Belgium.
⁵ - UMR1253, iBrain, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, CHRU, INSERM, Tours, France.
⁶ - Intrafamily Therapy Center, Elche, Spain.
⁷ - Faculty of Educational Sciences, Psychology and Social Work, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania.
⁸ - Psychiatric Rehabilitation Department, Silesia University of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
⁹ - Luxembourg Hospital, CHL, Luxembourg.
¹⁰ - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
¹¹ - UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences and Medicine, Rome, Italy.
¹² - Center for Mental and Psychological Support, Kepsipi, Korydallos, Greece.
¹³ - Department of Healthcare, University of Applied Sciences of Mikkeli, Savonlinna, Finland.
¹⁴ - La Source, School of Nursing Sciences, HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹⁵ - Psychiatry Department, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany.
¹⁶ - Agency for Europe-Africa Scientific Cooperation, ACSEA, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
¹⁷ - EA 3412 Education and Healthcare Practices Laboratory, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris France.

Abstract

Objective: The Covid-19 health crisis has disrupted the organization and functioning of European mental health and psychiatric services, impacting the working conditions - already difficult before the epidemic - of professionals working therein. The Psy-GIPO2C project investigated the impact of the pandemic on these professionals. The Psy-GIPOC2C project has been co-funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche française (ANR, French National Research Agency) and the Centre-Val de Loire region (France).

Method: This research took the form of a collaborative mixed methods study. The data collected through qualitative and quantitative research were analyzed during a working session held by the research consortium, which resulted in the formulation of recommendations for action to optimize the occupational health of European mental health professionals.

Results: This research made it possible to identify and explain the extent to which, and the ways in which, the reorganization of European mental health services has impacted the mental health of the professionals working therein, and, in particular, to highlight the fact that the unprecedented use of digital devices has generated stress, and even tension, within these services.

Conclusions: It is important to promote well-being at work among European mental health professionals, by involving them in the development of ad hoc measures (in addition to the existing psychological support measures available) to enable them to recharge their batteries. It is also important to support current and future professionals in their appropriation of digital tools for professional use.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; burnout; epidemic; ethics; health crisis; information; mental health; occupational health; pandemic; prevention; professional practices; psychiatry; telepsychiatry; training.