Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the magnitude of depression, anxiety, and stress among health care workers by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Almadinah Almunawwarah, KSA.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study examined 122 health care workers between April and May 2020 through the electronic use of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) questionnaire, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The perceptions of the participants towards stigmatisation of their profession during the COVID-19 pandemic were also assessed through a Likert's scale. The magnitude of anxiety, depression, and stress were analysed using a mean ± SD, correlation and percentages in respective statistics. A value of <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

This study found that 32.9% of the healthcare workers frequently faced COVID-19 cases during the ongoing pandemic. As many as 35.6% were unusually anxious. A mean anxiety score of 8.43 ± 4.6 was noted, with significantly higher scores for women and those workers with inadequate training ( < 0.001 and 0.028). Moreover, a mean depression score of 7.6 ± 4.7 ( < 0.002) was recorded for the healthcare workers with inadequate training. About 27.9% of the participants were depressed. The mean stress score of the study cohort was 6.86 ± 2.5. From the cohort, 24.5% and 72.8% experienced mild and moderate stress, respectively. This study found that inadequate training for infection control was associated with a higher proportion of anxiety and depression [OR 1.86 (95% CI: 1.5-2.3;  < 0.043) and OR 2.21 (95% CI: 1.7-2.8;  < 0.018), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study found a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, and moderate stress among healthcare workers, regardless of their job specifications. The associated risk factors for anxiety and depression included inadequate training for infection control, and pre-existing stress-provoking medical conditions.