Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in a traumatological unit

Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, which began in December 2019 in Vuhan (China) has evolved to a global health crisis and has made its severe somatic and mental health impact on individuals, on societies, patients under medical treatment and health care workers as well.Objective: Our research is focusing on the psychological impact of front line health care workers. In our paper, we summarize our research made in the National Traumatology Center, Budapest, Hungary, among health care workers who worked in the front and in the second line during the most severe period of the pandemic in Hungary, and discuss probable risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic psychological distress related to COVID-19. Method: The sample taking was processed in July 2021, 2 months after the 3rd COVID-19 wave officially ended in Hungary. 123 health care workers completed the online survey, included Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Anxiety State Inventory, PTSD Checklist, Lazarus Coping Scale. The statistical analysis was performed with Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. Results: 61% of health care workers reported symptoms of depression, nearly 52% dealing with sleeping disorders and 88% with chronic fatigue, 44.2% suffering from anxiety disorders, 75% experiencing symptoms of PTSD. Discussion and conclusion: Working in COVID-19 units is a highly traumatic experience. With our results we would like to raise awareness of the challenges and severe psychological consequences that these colleagues, our national heroes we can say, are facing after working in COVID-19 health care units.