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| Public health workers cool down in front of an air conditioner at a COVID-19 testing station in Seoul, in this June 15 photo. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The majority of frontline public health workers are depressed and anxious as a result of overwork during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are even showing warning signs of suicide, a recent survey showed, Wednesday.
The government has decided to support them with mental health programs and push for ways to increase the number of workers at public health centers.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare surveyed 1,765 employees at 17 public health centers nationwide on their mental health ― specifically fear, anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19. The survey was conducted from June 23 to July 9.
In the survey, 33.4 percent of respondents were found to be in the risk group for depression, which is significantly higher than the percentage of ordinary people who fall into the depression risk group, with 18.1 percent, and the percentage of public health doctors who do, with 15.1 percent.
The ratio of respondents who are having suicidal thoughts stood at 19.9 percent, 7.5 percentage points higher than that of the general public, with 12.4 percent.
The risk of anxiety among health workers was 27.6 percent, more than double that of the general public, with 12.2 percent.
More than 91 percent of public health workers surveyed said that their quality of life has deteriorated due to the pandemic, while 81.1 percent said that their physical and mental health have deteriorated.
Compared to the situation before the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of respondents treated for sleep disorders increased to 165 from 134, and the number of people being treated for depression also increased to 118 from 105.
Based on the results of the survey, the ministry plans to provide mental health recovery programs and additional services for public health workers.
First, public health workers who are at high risk of anxiety or depression will be able to undergo in-depth counseling with local mental health professionals.
It will also provide nine buses from the fire department, five operated by the health ministry, and three from the National Police Agency, so that public health workers at COVID-19 screening centers can rest inside in an air-conditioned environment during the hot weather.
Together with the related ministries and local governments, the health ministry will also design a psychological support plan for frontline health workers.
The health ministry made a proposal to prevent excessive workloads for public health workers by supporting an average of nine workers at each of the 258 public health centers nationwide.
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