1) 10.8% of people just returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.
2) Psychoneuroimmunity (PNI) prevention measures are associated with lower clinical manifestations of PTSD and less severe psychiatric symptoms in returning workers and executives.
3) On a personal level, PNI prevention measures include frequent hand washing, the use of a face mask, not sharing ustensiles and coughing in their elbow.
4) On an organisational level, these PNI prevention measures are improvement of workplace hygiene, concerns from the company on the health status of employees, avoidance of large gatherings, tracking the health status of employees, disinfection of workplace and maintaining interpersonal distance.
This information comes from a study using 673 online questionnaires. The participants include non-medical Chinese workers and executives who have just returned or will be returning to workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to assess their PTSD clinical manifestations.
Source:
Tan W., Hao F., McIntyre R.S., et al (April 23, 2020). Is Returning to Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic Stressful? A Study on Immediate Mental Health Status and Psychoneuroimmunity Prevention Measures of Chinese Workforce. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.055