CIESAL Director is one of the authors of an important European Union report
11/06/2025
OSHA team (from left to right): María Inti Metzendorf, Iván Solà, Marta Roqué, Eva Madrid, Laura Samsó
Eva Madrid, professor at the Universidad de Valparaíso, associate researcher at the Iberoamerican Cochrane Collaboration and director of CIESAL, was one of the authors of a report which has recently been published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). This key document analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of health and social care workers in Europe.
Entitled “Mental health challenges in the EU health and social care sector during COVID-19: strategies for prevention and management”, the report is being distributed to partner countries by the Publications Office of the European Union. It represents a detailed effort to understand the extent of work-related mental health problems during the pandemic and to identify effective interventions and recommendations for future pandemic scenarios at a European level.
Dr. Madrid was part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers from academic and research institutions in Germany, Spain, and Chile. The team conducted a systematic review of the prevalence of mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, acute stress, insomnia, burnout syndrome, and suicidality, among healthcare workers in 22 European Union countries during the pandemic. Designed and conducted in accordance with international standards, this review provides key insights to guide public policies within the EU, identifying differences in impact according to professional profile in hospital, primary care and nursing home settings, as well as the varying prevalence of mental health conditions detected in each EU country, among other findings.
Doctora Eva Madrid, directora de CIESAL
Recommendations for protecting the mental health of healthcare workers
The report summary states that a higher prevalence of mental health disorders was observed “in nurses, residents, assistants and emergency medical technicians. Front-line workers (working directly with COVID patients) and women showed higher levels of psychological strain. A higher prevalence was also identified among hospital staff”.
Overall, up to 46% of the evaluated professionals reported symptoms of psychological distress, and 38% reported burnout syndrome. This data led to the identification of 27 types of successful intervention implemented in different countries to mitigate these effects, including psychological support sessions, organisational adjustments and the creation of rest areas in workplaces. Additionally, over 100 concrete recommendations were compiled to enhance working conditions and safeguard the mental well-being of this group in the future.
Dr. Madrid’s participation strengthens the presence of Latin American researchers in high-impact international studies, while also highlighting the importance of transnational scientific collaboration in addressing global issues such as mental health in times of crisis. It also consolidates her academic trajectory of commitment to taking a comprehensive approach to public health in highly demanding contexts. The work is the result of Dr. Madrid’s residency at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i San Pau in Barcelona in 2024, which was commissioned by the EU to carry out the research.
‘This work represents a milestone in terms of the evidence available for the planning of health policies from a psychological well-being perspective, and it offers practical tools that can be adapted for use in other settings, including Latin America,’ said Dr Madrid after the report was published.
The report is already being used by European institutions as a reference to strengthen the health sector’s preparedness for future health emergencies. Its open and free dissemination aims to facilitate the adoption of good practices in hospitals, primary care centres, and care homes for the elderly, both within and outside Europe.