ABSTRACT
The emergency from COVID-19 places health organizations in front of a challenge and involves unprecedented work overload for healthcare workers. Doctors and nurses were bearing significantly increased workload in a consequent reorganization of the work with the shortage of protective equipment, isolation, and directly contacting with COVID-19 patients. This has a negative impact on performance and psychological well-being. This paper aimed at reviewing findings from the literature concerning the well-being and malaise of healthcare workers during the initial stage of the COVID- 19 malaise. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) work-related stress and psychophysical malaise;(2) differences in the role and socio-demographic characteristics of healthcare workers;(3) training, support, and organizational learning. The studies focused on health workers' stress and burnout without ever considering, in a positive psychology perspective, the analysis of mental well-being levels. Differences emerged between roles, age, and role. This systematic review highlights the need to develop practices to support healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 emergency, also considering the differences in gender, role, and professional setting. Individual interventions to manage stress, group support, and an engaged organizational culture could help prevent psychosocial risks during the pandemic. Among the limitations, mainly cross-sectional studies and the inclusion of very different geographic realities and health organizations. © 2021 Franco Angeli Edizioni. All rights reserved.