Help for our heroes: Addressing mental health needs of COVID-19 health care workers

One of the enduring images in America's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has been the heroic actions of our health care workers and first responders. While we like to think of these selfless individuals as infallible, it's important to remember they are human beings, vulnerable to emotional pain and trauma just like any of us. To get by, many temporarily suppress their emotions to help manage this medical emergency, but eventually, they'll need help processing the things they've seen and experienced.

Even before COVID-19, health care workers have experienced high rates of stress and burnout. According to one study, burnout related to the pandemic is present among health care professionals at higher rates than previously suspected. With previous virus outbreaks, rates of burnout and post-traumatic stress increased dramatically after the crisis passed. Processing trauma will undoubtedly be a continuing issue for those answering the call for this contagion.

At the national level, we're now seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, which ironically has the potential to trigger an emotional crash among health care workers. According to data reported by Johns Hopkins University, there's been a 40.3% decrease in cases in the past two weeks (Feb. 7 to Feb. 21). Health care workers have had their heads down, focusing on caring for the sick. If there's a slowdown in their region, that's when their emotions could catch up to them.

As a crisis response program coordinator, I have more than 20 years of experience in professional group counseling. I have helped employees and first responders cope with incidents like mass shootings, car crashes and other disasters. But lately, I've been helping health care workers cope with the devastation brought on by COVID-19.

I've counseled a group of ICU nurses who spoke about the sheer exhaustion they experience caring for COVID-19 patients. I've worked with a nursing home that dealt with COVID-related deaths among patients and staff alike.

Having worked in this capacity, I've seen the physical and mental impact on health care workers. Not surprisingly, many struggle with grief and depression after witnessing so much death. They feel frustrated, especially in situations where they didn't have appropriate personal protective equipment to keep them safe. Many feel isolated and alone. Others feel guilt and remorse over not being able to save more lives. Many can't sleep and don't have time for exercise or proper nutrition.

Although vaccines are slowly becoming available, there's still no clear end in sight, especially since new variants threaten additional surges. We're asking our health care workers to keep up the fight for an indefinite period. They've already been holding the front line since March 2020, and it feels like forever to them. If they continue to stifle their emotions, these feelings can eventually emerge, often with negative consequences. It could lead to poor coping outcomes. We've already seen suicides among COVID caregivers - as well as increased alcohol and substance abuse.

For this reason, it's time we help our heroes by providing them with strategies designed to help them better cope with the trauma they've experienced. This includes offering group counseling, also known as stress debriefings, to release pent-up emotions and connect with colleagues in similar situations. In talking about what has happened, they can begin to process what they've seen, and they can emerge on the other side, maybe with a different perspective.

Obviously, we want the situation around COVID-19 to improve and cases to decrease, but we must ensure we're providing our health care workers with the mental health services they'll need to process these devastating incidents in a healthy way. It's important for public health officials and hospital administrators to start preparing today, by bolstering existing employee assistance programs with crisis response teams, critical incident stress debriefings, and other counseling options.

Our health care workers have taken valiant action to care for us. As the days tick on, we need to lay the groundwork for their mental health well-being and recovery as well.

• Natasha Charleston, of Jefferson Park, is the crisis response program coordinator at Mitchell | Genex | Coventry. She is also a volunteer with the Northern Illinois Critical Incident Team.