Unnamed Woman

What we were aiming to do was to actually document the scope of nurses' mental health and see how it was similar and also different across different countries.

So my research consortium, we were able to take the early data from our ongoing study and actually start taking a look at where we were seeing similarities and differences, but also seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and showing how really it didn't matter where you were, if you were a nurse, the pandemic was having a significant impact on your mental health.

So my research consortium, we were able to take the early data from our ongoing study and actually start taking a look at where we were seeing similarities and differences, but also seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and showing how really it didn't matter where you were, if you were a nurse, the pandemic was having a significant impact on your mental health.

Well, we were finding about an average of, I mean, it was quite a wide range of between 20 and Sixty percent of our nurses responding reported symptoms of anxiety or reported that they had depression or symptoms of depression. And so, you know, the average overall was running about somewhere around about 30 percent.

Well, we were finding about an average of, I mean, it was quite a wide range of between 20 and Sixty percent of our nurses responding reported symptoms of anxiety or reported that they had depression or symptoms of depression. And so, you know, the average overall was running about somewhere around about 30 percent.

So slightly higher than what's typically seen from most general mental health statistics.

So slightly higher than what's typically seen from most general mental health statistics.

Well, what's interesting is for a lot of the countries involved in this particular study, they had no baseline mental health statistics available. of their nurses. So this was one of the first studies to really, as far as we can tell, for many of the low and middle income countries to actually capture sort of a baseline idea of how are nurses doing and what is the state of their mental health.

Well, what's interesting is for a lot of the countries involved in this particular study, they had no baseline mental health statistics available. of their nurses. So this was one of the first studies to really, as far as we can tell, for many of the low and middle income countries to actually capture sort of a baseline idea of how are nurses doing and what is the state of their mental health.

And it did strike me particularly that nurses in Mongolia reported particularly high rates of both anxiety and depression overall compared to most of the other countries. But we also noticed that for some other countries that many people said, no, I don't have anxiety, I don't have depression, but I have a lot of the symptoms.

And it did strike me particularly that nurses in Mongolia reported particularly high rates of both anxiety and depression overall compared to most of the other countries. But we also noticed that for some other countries that many people said, no, I don't have anxiety, I don't have depression, but I have a lot of the symptoms.

So there's also a stigma that is coming through in our data where nurses may not feel comfortable reporting or naming that they have anxiety or depression. But they're more comfortable sharing that, well, yeah, I have a lot of the symptoms that go with anxiety and depression.

So there's also a stigma that is coming through in our data where nurses may not feel comfortable reporting or naming that they have anxiety or depression. But they're more comfortable sharing that, well, yeah, I have a lot of the symptoms that go with anxiety and depression.

Well, one of the things that we saw was nurses tended to turn toward either their co-workers or their family and friends first, and that was their primary source of support. And that was true regardless of whether it was high-income countries or low-income countries. So your inner circle is the first place that people start when they're looking for support.

Well, one of the things that we saw was nurses tended to turn toward either their co-workers or their family and friends first, and that was their primary source of support. And that was true regardless of whether it was high-income countries or low-income countries. So your inner circle is the first place that people start when they're looking for support.

But the question is, is when it gets beyond what just your friends, your family members maybe even for those who comfort in religious support from a clergy person, then what happens, though, when you get beyond that need? And that's where we need to figure out things like what happens if you do need that support.

But the question is, is when it gets beyond what just your friends, your family members maybe even for those who comfort in religious support from a clergy person, then what happens, though, when you get beyond that need? And that's where we need to figure out things like what happens if you do need that support.

One of my consortium members, they hadn't completed the study yet, but they shared that USAID had actually been doing rapid response training in mental health. for health workers in Malawi due to the recent events in the U.S. and the stopping of USAID programming that those efforts have been stopped at the moment.

One of my consortium members, they hadn't completed the study yet, but they shared that USAID had actually been doing rapid response training in mental health. for health workers in Malawi due to the recent events in the U.S. and the stopping of USAID programming that those efforts have been stopped at the moment.

So, you know, there was examples out there of being able to do some rapid intervention and provide support in low-income settings, but the legacy and how sustainable that will be now is under question.