Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA.
Reprod Health. 2021 Feb 24;18(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s12978-021-01102-1.
Both inpatient and outpatient providers may be at increased risk of stress, anxiety and depression from their roles as health providers during the COVID-19 epidemic. This study explores how the US COVID-19 epidemic has increased feelings of stress, anxiety and depression among outpatient reproductive health providers.
We conducted a survey with open-ended responses among outpatient reproductive health providers across the U.S. engaged in contraceptive care to collect data on their experiences with stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 epidemic. The study population included physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health professions [n = 288]. Data were collected from April 21st-June 24th 2020. We used content analysis of free text responses among providers reporting increased stress, anxiety or depression.
Two-thirds (184) of providers reported increased stress and one-third (96) reported increased anxiety or depression related to care provision during the COVID-19 epidemic. The major sources of stress, anxiety and depression were due to patient care, worry about becoming infected or infecting family members, work- and home-related concerns, experiencing provider burnout, and fear of the unknown. Concerns about quality of patient care, providers' changing responsibilities, lack of personal protective equipment, and difficulty coping with co-worker illness and absence all contributed to provider stress and anxiety. Worries about unemployment and childcare responsibilities were also highlighted. Providers attributed their stress, anxiety or depression to feeling overwhelmed, being unable to focus, lacking sleep, and worrying about the unknown.
US outpatient providers are experiencing significant stress, anxiety, and depression during the US COVID-19 epidemic. Policy and programmatic responses are urgently needed to address the widespread adverse mental health consequences of this epidemic on outpatient providers, including reproductive health providers, across the US. Both inpatient and outpatient providers may be at increased risk of stress, anxiety and depression from their roles as health providers during the COVID-19 epidemic. This study explores how the US COVID-19 epidemic has increased feelings of stress, anxiety and depression among outpatient reproductive health providers across the US. We conducted a survey from April 21st to June 24th, 2020 among outpatient reproductive health providers, including physicians, nurses, social workers and other health professions. We asked open-ended questions to understand why providers reported increased stress, anxiety and/or depression. Two-thirds (184) of providers reported increased stress and one-third (96) reported increased anxiety or depression from care provision during the COVID-19 epidemic. Major sources of stress, anxiety and depression were due to patient care, worry about becoming infected or infecting family members, work- and home-related concerns, experiencing provider burnout, and fear of the unknown. Concerns about quality of patient care, providers' changing responsibilities, lack of personal protective equipment, and difficulty coping with co-worker illness and absence all contributed to provider stress and anxiety. Worries about unemployment and childcare responsibilities were also highlighted. Providers attributed their stress, anxiety or depression to feeling overwhelmed, being unable to focus, lacking sleep, and worrying about the unknown. This study highlights that US outpatient reproductive health providers are experiencing significant stress, anxiety, and depression during the US COVID-19 epidemic. Policy and programmatic responses are urgently needed to address the widespread adverse mental health consequences of this epidemic on outpatient providers, including reproductive health providers, across the US.
在 COVID-19 疫情期间，住院和门诊医护人员可能因其作为医护人员的角色而面临更大的压力、焦虑和抑郁风险。本研究探讨了美国 COVID-19 疫情如何增加了门诊生殖健康提供者的压力、焦虑和抑郁感。
我们在美国从事避孕护理的门诊生殖健康提供者中进行了一项带有开放式回答的调查，以收集他们在 COVID-19 疫情期间在压力、焦虑和抑郁方面的经历数据。研究人群包括医生、护士、社会工作者和其他卫生专业人员[n=288]。数据于 2020 年 4 月 21 日至 6 月 24 日收集。我们使用提供者报告的压力、焦虑或抑郁增加的自由文本回复进行内容分析。
三分之二（184 名）的提供者报告说，由于 COVID-19 疫情期间的护理工作，他们的压力增加，三分之一（96 名）的提供者报告说，他们的焦虑或抑郁增加。压力、焦虑和抑郁的主要来源是患者护理、担心感染或感染家庭成员、工作和家庭相关问题、经历提供者倦怠以及对未知的恐惧。对患者护理质量的担忧、提供者不断变化的职责、缺乏个人防护设备以及难以应对同事的疾病和缺勤，这些都导致了提供者的压力和焦虑。对失业和儿童保育责任的担忧也很突出。提供者将他们的压力、焦虑或抑郁归因于不知所措、无法集中注意力、睡眠不足和担心未知。
美国门诊提供者在 COVID-19 大流行期间经历着显著的压力、焦虑和抑郁。迫切需要采取政策和计划措施，以解决这场大流行对美国各地门诊提供者（包括生殖健康提供者）广泛的不良心理健康后果。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，住院和门诊医护人员可能因其作为医护人员的角色而面临更大的压力、焦虑和抑郁风险。本研究探讨了 COVID-19 大流行如何增加了美国门诊生殖健康提供者的压力、焦虑和抑郁感。我们于 2020 年 4 月 21 日至 6 月 24 日期间对门诊生殖健康提供者进行了一项调查，包括医生、护士、社会工作者和其他卫生专业人员。我们提出了开放式问题，以了解提供者为何报告压力、焦虑和/或抑郁增加。三分之二（184 名）的提供者报告说，由于 COVID-19 疫情期间的护理工作，他们的压力增加，三分之一（96 名）的提供者报告说，他们的焦虑或抑郁增加。压力、焦虑和抑郁的主要来源是患者护理、担心感染或感染家庭成员、工作和家庭相关问题、经历提供者倦怠以及对未知的恐惧。对患者护理质量的担忧、提供者不断变化的职责、缺乏个人防护设备以及难以应对同事的疾病和缺勤，这些都导致了提供者的压力和焦虑。对失业和儿童保育责任的担忧也很突出。提供者将他们的压力、焦虑或抑郁归因于不知所措、无法集中注意力、睡眠不足和担心未知。这项研究强调，美国门诊生殖健康提供者在 COVID-19 大流行期间经历着显著的压力、焦虑和抑郁。迫切需要采取政策和计划措施，以解决这场大流行对美国各地门诊提供者（包括生殖健康提供者）广泛的不良心理健康后果。
