19 June- The Mental Health and Substance Use Unit organized a virtual symposium on mental health and COVID-19 in the Americas, highlighting the HEROES research study. 554 people were in attendance.
The COVID-19 Health Care Workers (HEROES) study is a cohort study that aims to examine the mental health, behavioral, and social problems experienced by health care workers on 5 continents. The study is a joint effort between the University of Chile and Columbia University, in partnership with a wide variety of institutions from over 25 countries. The study has already begun in several countries including Chile and Mexico. Other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to begin in the coming weeks, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
The target population of the study includes workers who have interacted, or may interact, with people with COVID-19, or who are suspected of having COVID-19 in different health care settings, including hospitals, primary care centers, nursing homes, and others. The study uses a self-administered online questionnaire that considers an assessment of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, in addition to a series of questions about emotional, behavioral, and social factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire also includes items on socio-demographic information, work context, resilience, formal and informal supports, and pre-pandemic mental and physical conditions.
To date, few studies exist on the mental health impact of COVID-19 in the Americas. HEROES is a promising opportunity for the Region to better understand this impact.