The topic for the current assignment concerns diverse mental health complications, such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, burnout, and other issues among healthcare workers due to COVID-19. The pandemic has been a massive challenge for the whole healthcare system, and the increased workload and associated stress have caused multiple problems for nurses and physicians (Neto et al., 2020). In turn, mental health problems lower the professionals’ productivity and motivation, which is an advanced practice nursing issue (Neto et al., 2020). In other words, it is essential to support the healthcare workforce during challenging periods to maintain a functional system and prevent psychological complications.
Concerning the objectives of Healthy People 2020, the examined topic is related to the category of Mental Health and Mental Disorders (MHMD). While the entries (MHMD-1 to MHMD-12) do not specifically address the psychological health of healthcare professionals, they focus on the well-being of the general population (“Mental health,” 2021). For instance, the objective of decreasing the number of suicides (MHMD-1) concerns everyone, including nurses and physicians. Since mental health complications among the workforce are more prevalent during challenging periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the selected topic is directly related to the objectives of Healthy People 2020.
Lastly, the public health policy analysis of improving mental health among the general population is highly beneficial for addressing the issues of diverse communities across the United States. For instance, each of the Healthy People 2020 objectives categorizes the data based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other demographic parameters (“Mental health,” 2021). Minorities and ethnic communities, including healthcare professionals from these groups, have suffered from COVID-19 more than the general population (Phiri et al., 2021). Hence, the information from a thorough public health policy analysis might help researchers and healthcare professionals to take affirmative steps to mitigate the problem. Ultimately, this data is beneficial for understanding the complexity of the topic and will be highly useful for completing the final capstone project.
References
Mental health and mental disorders. (2021). HealthyPeople. Web.
Neto, M. L. R., Almeida, H. G., Esmeraldo, J. D. A., Nobre, C. B., Pinheiro, W. R., de Oliveira, C. R. T.,… & da Silva, C. G. L. (2020). When health professionals look death in the eye: The mental health of professionals who deal daily with the 2019 coronavirus outbreak. Psychiatry Research, 288, 112972.
Phiri, P., Delanerolle, G., Al-Sudani, A., & Rathod, S. (2021). COVID-19 and black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities: A complex relationship without just cause. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 7(2), e22581.