Zeng Liang-Nan, Huang Jun, Guan Bi, Tang Rong, Li Yan, Lu Junjie, Li Jue, Peng Tangming, Rao Wenwang
Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
Chengdu University of Traditional Chineses Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
BMJ Open. 2025 Aug 25;15(8):e087223. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087223.
Sex-based differences in psychological symptoms have been well documented but remain significantly underexplored among healthcare workers who work in intensive care units (ICUs). This study aimed to explore the sex-based differences in psychological symptoms among Chinese ICU healthcare workers and compare psychological symptoms between those who directly participated in COVID-19 anti-epidemic work and those who did not.
This cross-sectional study evaluated the psychological symptoms of ICU healthcare workers using the Chinese version of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), with higher scores indicating more severe psychological symptoms. Generalised linear models were applied to explore sex-based differences and compare those who directly participated in COVID-19 anti-epidemic work and those who were not psychologically symptomatic after controlling for sociodemographic variables.
A total of 3871 ICU healthcare workers, consisting of 2186 women and 1685 men, were included. There were significant differences between male and female scores of somatisation (adjusted unstandardised regression coefficients (B)=-0.611; 95% CI=-1.190 to -0.032; p=0.039), depression (adjusted B=-0.765; 95% CI=-1.484 to -0.046; p=0.037) and paranoid ideation (adjusted B=0.318; 95% CI=0.023 to 0.613; p=0.035), adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Participants who had directly engaged in COVID-19 anti-epidemic work had significantly lower scores on the 10 SCL-90 subscales and total scores than did those who had not (all p<0.05).
Female ICU healthcare workers presented more severe somatisation and depression, whereas men presented more severe paranoid ideation. Healthcare workers directly involved in COVID-19 anti-epidemic work had better mental health status than those who were not. Scheduling rest time reasonably helps alleviate somatisation and depression. More optimistic attitudes and better communication skills are beneficial for reducing paranoid ideation.
心理症状方面的性别差异已有充分记录，但在重症监护病房（ICU）工作的医护人员中仍未得到充分研究。本研究旨在探讨中国ICU医护人员心理症状的性别差异，并比较直接参与COVID-19抗疫工作的人员与未参与人员的心理症状。
本横断面研究使用中文版症状自评量表90（SCL-90）评估ICU医护人员的心理症状，得分越高表明心理症状越严重。应用广义线性模型探讨性别差异，并在控制社会人口统计学变量后比较直接参与COVID-19抗疫工作的人员与无心理症状的人员。
共纳入3871名ICU医护人员，其中女性2186名，男性1685名。在控制社会人口统计学变量后，男性和女性在躯体化（调整后的非标准化回归系数（B）=-0.611；95%置信区间=-1.190至-0.032；p=0.039）、抑郁（调整后的B=-0.765；95%置信区间=-1.484至-0.046；p=0.037）和偏执观念（调整后的B=0.318；95%置信区间=0.023至0.613；p=0.035）得分上存在显著差异。直接参与COVID-19抗疫工作的参与者在SCL-90的10个分量表及总分上的得分显著低于未参与的人员（所有p<0.05）。
女性ICU医护人员表现出更严重的躯体化和抑郁，而男性表现出更严重的偏执观念。直接参与COVID-19抗疫工作的医护人员心理健康状况优于未参与的人员。合理安排休息时间有助于缓解躯体化和抑郁。更乐观的态度和更好的沟通技巧有利于减少偏执观念。
