The "Healthcare Kamikaze" during the COVID-19 pandemic: Life purpose and moral courage as mediators of psychopathology.

Int. J. Approx. Resolution Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7235; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147235

Commentary

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish health care workers were known as "medical kamikazes" because they lacked necessary supplies and worked without personal protective equipment.

Two possible reasons are adjusting the appearance of psychopathology and moral courage and purpose in life.

This study was conducted in a cross-sectional study with 90 Spanish and 59 Mexican health professionals, and 56 medical and nursing students. Spanish professionals suffered from more work and overall exposure than Mexicans, and Mexican professionals were found to have fewer anxiety disorders and lower depression scores than Spaniards.

The Spanish professionals also reported experiencing acute stress disorder more frequently. Life purpose had a direct protective effect on psychopathology and also moderated the relationship between individual and family exposure and psychopathology.

In conclusion, having a life purpose protects against the emergence of psychopathology in health care workers with individual and family exposure to SARS-CoV-2.