Frontline healthcare workers experienced highest insomnia rates during and after pandemic

An analysis co-led by Josefa A. Antón Ruiz, a researcher from the Department of Health Psychology at the University of Alicante (UA), reveals that 43.5% of healthcare professionals experienced clinically significant symptoms of insomnia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The article, published in the journal Current Psychology by the international publisher Springer Nature, is based on a joint analysis of 34 studies conducted in 14 countries, with a sample of 32,930 healthcare professionals.

This meta-analysis provides one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date global estimates of the prevalence and severity of insomnia in this group, as it covers both the acute phase of the pandemic and the subsequent return to normality. According to Antón-Ruiz, who co-authored the article with researchers from the Catholic University of Murcia, the results show that insomnia severity levels exceeded clinical cut-off points across the various assessment instruments used.

The study reveals significant differences based on the type of occupational exposure. Among professionals working on the front line in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of insomnia reached 54.9%, compared to 33.5% in those who did not perform direct care roles. These data reinforce the hypothesis that continuous exposure to high-pressure situations, risk of infection, workload and critical decision-making contributed significantly to the deterioration of sleep, as explained by the PhD researcher in health psychology.

Furthermore, the research has also detected geographical variations. Higher figures are reported in Europe, with a prevalence of 58.2%, while in Asia the rate stands at 38.3%.

Implications and recommendations

The study highlights that insomnia was not only frequent but also clinically relevant both during and after the pandemic. As Dr Antón-Ruiz notes, the proven link between insomnia and other long-term mental disorders suggests these findings have significant implications for the sustainability and resilience of healthcare systems.

According to this article, the results obtained underscore the need to implement structured psychological support programmes for healthcare personnel, as well as to establish specific interventions in sleep regulation and stress management. In this regard, the UA researcher stated that addressing insomnia is not only a matter of individual well-being, but a key factor for patient safety and quality of care. Sleep health should be systematically integrated into institutional policies and preparedness plans for future health crises.

Dr Antón-Ruiz concluded that having solid scientific evidence in the medium and long term allows occupational health decisions to be substantiated, data-driven public policies to be guided, and makes it clear that mental health—and specifically sleep. She stated that this is not a secondary issue, but a central element in ensuring safe, sustainable and high-quality healthcare systems.