Frontline COVID-19 health workers are dealing with a devastating loss of life at work while trying to manage a family life upended by the pandemic. Dr. John Santopietro, a psychiatrist and physician-in-chief of the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network, describes the psychology of the frontline experience in Hartford HealthCare’s “Coping with COVID” podcast:

I’ve been observing the emotional stress to be falling into two categories. One is anxiety, which is pretty easy to see. Loss is a good word for the other thing. Grief is another one that comes to mind.

It could be something that may seem, in some ways, small. People at home are dealing with kids who were planning to do things they’re not able to do. Now, as we get closer to the surge, most — if not all of us — will know somebody who knows somebody or have a direct connection to a colleague or family member who is either suffering because of this illness or tragically succumbing to it.

So, first of all, mark it out as a separate feeling. It’s different than anxiety. It’s the feeling of sadness and loss. The grieving process is something that we know takes time and takes connectedness. It’s hard to grieve alone. And those are two commodities we don’t have a lot of right now — either time or connectedness.

So, I think doing everything we can do to make room to notice the feeling and to — even though it’s hard to connect — to find ways to connect. One of the things that has been really inspiring when I’m talking to [people] is I frame things in terms of both the reality because I think we can’t deny it . . . but also the other side of that coin, which is the hope and the confidence that I certainly have . . . that we will get through it.

For more of Dr. Santopietro’s discussion with Hartford HealthCare’s Anne Rondepierre, listen to the latest episode of the “Coping with COVID” podcast series:

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