Kalrao Vijay, Srivastava Leena, Kumar Shruti
Department of Pediatrics, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Medical College, Pune, India.
Department of Pediatrics, Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, Dehradun, India.
Front Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 12;14:1246540. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1246540. eCollection 2023.
High parenting stress (PS) in members of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic was exacerbated by work-, family-, and child-related factors. However, the negative effects of PS on the mental health and work participation of healthcare workers (HCWs) have received limited attention. This study aimed to examine the proportion of severe PS among HCWs and identify its contributory factors.
This cross-sectional survey was conducted in two COVID-19-care hospitals attached to medical colleges in India between November 1 and December 24, 2021, following the delta variant-driven second wave of COVID-19. The study recruited 662 HCW parent and child dyads (aged 1.5-18 years) and assessed workplace, family, and child-related characteristics. The Parenting Stress Scale (PSS) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to identify severe PS and child behavioral issues, respectively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyzes were used to identify the significant and independent risk factors associated with severe PS, respectively.
Equal proportions of medical and paramedical HCWs completed the survey [mean age: 36.96 ± 5.89; female: 466 (70%)]. The median PSS score of HCWs was 33 [interquartile range (IQR): 28-39], and 23% (155/662) of the HCW parents experienced severe PS. The independent predictors of severe PS included the female sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74-6.29], HCWs with >15-day postings in COVID-19 care (aOR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.53-9.16), having children with behavioral issues (aOR: 3.49; 95% CI: 1.29-9.48), HCWs at the Dehradun center (aOR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.24-4.10), having an HCW spouse simultaneously working in COVID-19 care (aOR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.01-3.49), and HCWs with joint families (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.17-3.18).
Overall, 23% of the cohort of HCWs continued to experience severe PS after the second COVID-19 wave driven by the delta variant in India. Routine screening of HCWs for PS using the PSS or similar measures, anticipatory guidance for parenting, and targeting at-risk HCWs with appropriate supportive measures may help reduce the incidence of severe PS and optimize the participation of HCWs in the fight against current and future pandemic-like situations.
在新冠疫情期间，普通人群中的高育儿压力因工作、家庭和孩子相关因素而加剧。然而，育儿压力对医护人员心理健康和工作参与的负面影响却受到了有限的关注。本研究旨在调查医护人员中严重育儿压力的比例，并确定其促成因素。
这项横断面调查于2021年11月1日至12月24日在印度医学院附属的两家新冠救治医院进行，当时正值由德尔塔变异株引发的第二波新冠疫情。该研究招募了662对医护人员父母与孩子的二元组（年龄在1.5至18岁之间），并评估了工作场所、家庭和孩子相关特征。分别使用育儿压力量表（PSS）和儿童行为量表（CBCL）来确定严重育儿压力和儿童行为问题。单变量和多变量逻辑回归分析分别用于确定与严重育儿压力相关的显著和独立危险因素。
医疗和辅助医疗医护人员完成调查的比例相同[平均年龄：36.96±5.89；女性：466人（70%）]。医护人员的PSS得分中位数为33[四分位间距（IQR）：28 - 39]，23%（155/662）的医护人员父母经历了严重育儿压力。严重育儿压力的独立预测因素包括女性[调整优势比（aOR）：3.31；95%置信区间（CI）：1.74 - 6.29]、在新冠救治岗位工作超过15天的医护人员（aOR：3.74；95%CI：1.53 - 9.16）、孩子有行为问题（aOR：3.49；95%CI：1.29 - 9.48）、德拉敦中心的医护人员（aOR：2.25；95%CI：1.24 - 4.10）、配偶同时在新冠救治岗位工作的医护人员（aOR：1.88；95%CI：1.01 - 3.49）以及来自大家庭的医护人员（aOR：1.93；95%CI：1.17 - 3.18）。
总体而言，在印度由德尔塔变异株引发的第二波新冠疫情之后，23%的医护人员队列仍继续经历严重育儿压力。使用PSS或类似措施对医护人员进行育儿压力的常规筛查、育儿方面的预期指导以及针对有风险的医护人员采取适当的支持措施，可能有助于降低严重育儿压力的发生率，并优化医护人员参与应对当前及未来类似大流行情况的程度。
