Expert: Suppressed negative emotions can lead to depression among frontliners

Doctors and nurses are trained not to show fear or be angry with patients, burying their own anxieties to continue the battle against Covid-19 as part of their work.

KUCHING: Frontline healthcare workers are not just battling against Covid-19 but also fighting to keep their sanity.

They are under tremendous pressure to present a pleasant appearance to their patients and colleagues, while fighting their fear of contracting the virus or transmitting it to their dear ones.

Universiti Malaya’s psychology expert Mariani Mohd Nor said many of those taking care of Covid-19 patients are facing stress and fear.

“Medical frontliners are anxious about their families’ wellbeing and their own. But they are unable to display their emotions or feelings at work.

“An acquaintance, working as a doctor in a hospital treating Covid-19 patients, shared with me her experience of crying inside the toilet due to the overwhelming fear, stress and pressure she faced during work.

“They have to show others a brave face and that they’re feeling fine all the time. Most of these health workers are feeling exhausted at work,” she told FMT.

The suppressed negative emotions and feelings among health workers could affect their mental wellbeing and can even lead to depression, she warned.

Mariani said although there had yet to be reports of suicides among health workers in Malaysia due to the pandemic, this did not mean that one should disregard their mental wellbeing.

“A person might require psychosocial support from their family and mental health professionals if they have difficulty in maintaining their work-related duties. There is danger of increased reliance on alcohol or tobacco to cope with their situation,” she said.

She advised the public to abide by the government’s order to stay at home and stop the spread of the virus, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system.

“We must remember that each one of us must fulfil our civic duties to stay home and restructure our lifestyle so that we can keep our families and community safe.

“We are blessed to be living in this era when we have e-commerce and telemedicine. These reduce unnecessary travel and exposure to the virus,” she said.

Mental ordeal

Medical staff FMT spoke to narrated their ordeal in having to go to work every day, preparing themselves mentally to face the virus pandemic.

“I would feel as though I’m heading for war every time I leave my home for work,” one of them said.

“Although I don’t deal with Covid-19 patients directly, anyone I meet could be a carrier of the virus, including my colleagues and other hospital staff, without them being even aware.”

The mother of a one-year-old said she prayed hard every day for the safety of her family and herself.

“To be honest, my colleagues and I are always feeling anxious at work.

“I would spray my shoes and the floor outside my house with bleach (Clorox), soak my clothes with detergent and head straight for the shower after returning home from work. Only then do I have the courage to touch my daughter,” she added.

A doctor also shared the challenges of her job, especially when treating patients who had failed to disclose their travel or health history. Some simply refused to heed advice.

The effects of the virus cannot be underestimated, she said.

She said doctors and nurses are trained not to show their fears, worries or even anger to others.

“We’re not allowed to show fear even though deep inside, we are fearful. Otherwise, how can we give confidence to our patients?

“We’re all aware that we’re at high risk. The thing is, there is no specific medication to treat patients who test positive for the virus,” she said. - FMT