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Psychological therapies reduce trauma-related mental health symptoms in healthcare staff redeployed to COVID-19 intensive care units

delete2026-04-01
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PRE
AI
C
Corrigan, John-Paul *
B
Browne, Dympna
D
Dempsey, Ciara
D
Duffy, Michael
O
O'Doherty, Sinead
Q
Quinn, Paul
S
Scullion, Catherine
M
Mulholland, Ciaran
DOI:10.1080/15555240.2026.2647047delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Mental health problems among healthcare staff have been well documented within the literature. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent redeployment of many healthcare workers to frontline settings such as COVID intensive care units (ICUs), their mental health has been further adversely affected. To address this, a pilot service was developed that offered rapid assessment and trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) to staff redeployed to COVID ICUs during the pandemic. Aims included reducing mental health symptoms associated with psychological trauma in this cohort and sustaining the workforce by promoting a successful return to work. Outcome measures indicated that the TF-CBT intervention led to significant improvements, with scores of many participants who completed measures moving from moderate or severe clinical categories to mild across anxiety (48%), depression (62%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (75%). These results generally held when accounting for reliable change. Additionally, 97% of staff returned to work following intervention. The average number of sessions provided was 4, with higher baseline anxiety being the only significant predictor of session duration. These results indicate that substantial therapeutic and functional gains can be achieved by offering staff experiencing trauma-related mental health symptoms a rapid access TF-CBT intervention within a limited time frame. Limitations and next steps are discussed.
Keywords:
COVID-19
intensive care unit staff
redeployed healthcare workers
trauma-focused CBT
posttraumatic stress

Journal

J
JOURNAL OF WORKPLACE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
IF:
0.8
Papers:
60
Citations:
0

Organization

Q
Queens University Belfast
Scholars:
542
Papers: 264
Citations: 0
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