Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers in the Fangcang shelter hospital in China

Background: Faced with surging infections and considering that 80% of cases were mild and moderate, the city government transformed stadiums and exhibition centers into the Fangcang shelter hospitals (temporary treatment centers) in Wuhan. Aim: The aims of this study were to evaluate psychological impact on health care workers in the Fangcang shelter hospitals and analyze potential risk factors associated with these symptoms, including PTSS, symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and perceived stress. Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online survey to assess mental health problems of 522 health care workers in a Jianghan Fangcang shelter from February 21 to February 28, 2020. Results: Overall, 25.3%, 25.3%, 51.0%, 58.0%, 14.8%, and 39.1% of all participants reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and perceived stress, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that, occupation and technical title were associated with all investigated outcomes. Nurses were more likely to endorse posttraumatic stress symptoms (OR, 4.63; 95% CI, 2.43–8.82; p < .001), anxiety symptom (OR, 4.58; 95% CI, 2.76–7.62; p < .001), depression symptom (OR, 3.45; 95% CI, 2.17–5.64; p < .001). Participants with senior technical title were associated with higher perceived stress and insomnia than other technical title. Conclusion: In this survey, participants reported high rates of symptoms of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and perceived stress. Combining with the special environment of the shelter hospitals and the psychological needs, the health care workers should be given more effective interventions to relieve their stress and improve mental symptoms.

Download Full-text

Health Care Workers’ Mental Health During the First Weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Switzerland – A Cross-Sectional Study

10.1101/2020.05.04.20088625 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sonja Weilenmann ◽

Jutta Ernst ◽

Heidi Petry ◽

Monique C. Pfaltz ◽

Onur Sazpinar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Support ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

Anxiety Depression

AbstractBackgroundThe current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses various challenges for health care workers (HCWs), which may impair their mental health. First evidence from China suggests that HCWs are at risk for anxiety and depression. However, generalizability to western countries is limited. The current study aimed at exploring HCWs’ mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland. In addition, we conducted a network analysis to investigate the independent effect of risk and protective factors on HCWs’ mental health and their interplay.MethodsIn an exploratory, cross-sectional, nation-wide online survey, we assessed demographics, work characteristics, COVID-19 exposure, and anxiety, depression, and burnout in 857 physicians and 553 nurses during the pandemic in Switzerland. At the time of data collection, Switzerland had among the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 cases in the world.ResultsOverall symptom levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout were elevated. Women, nurses, frontline staff and HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients reported more symptoms than their peers. However, these effects were all small and, in the network analysis, most of them did not remain significant after controlling for the other factors. Whereas COVID-19 exposure was only partially associated with mental health, perceived support by the employer independently predicted anxiety and burnout.ConclusionsOur finding that HCWs had elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout underscores the importance to systematically monitor HCWs’ mental health during this ongoing pandemic. Because perceived support and mental health impairments were negatively related, we encourage the implementation of supportive measures for HCWs’ well-being during this crisis.

Download Full-text

Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Health Care Workers in Earthquake-Affected Areas in Southwest China

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.106.2.555-561 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 106 (2) ◽

pp. 555-561 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Li Wang ◽

Jianxin Zhang ◽

Mingjie Zhou ◽

Zhanbiao Shi ◽

Ping Liu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Health Care ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Southwest China ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors were investigated among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas in southwest China. 343 health care workers completed the Chinese version of the Impact of Event Scale–Revised 3 mo. after the Wenchuan Earthquake. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 19%. The significant risk factors identified for PTSD severity included being female, being bereaved, being injured, and higher intensity of initial fear. These findings suggest that PTSD is a common mental health problem among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas. The present information can be useful in directing, strengthening, and evaluating disaster-related mental health needs and interventions after an earthquake.

Download Full-text

Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019

JAMA Network Open ◽

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. e203976 ◽

Cited By ~ 1096

Author(s):

Jianbo Lai ◽

Simeng Ma ◽

Ying Wang ◽

Zhongxiang Cai ◽

Jianbo Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Care Workers

Download Full-text

1347Mental health status of health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak: An International Study

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyab168.485 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Christiana Nicolaou ◽

Joanna Menikou ◽

Andrew Gloster ◽

Maria Karekla ◽

Angelos Kassianos

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Care ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Educational Background ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive health crisis affecting our planet, with over 166,346,635 confirmed cases and 3,449,117 deaths globally till 24 May 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive health crisis which has brought enormous physical and psychological pressure. Mental health care for health care workers (HCWs), should receive serious consideration. The aim of this study was to determine mental health outcomes of HCWs and to examine known predictors of outcomes during the first pandemic wave. Methods 1,556 HCWs who participated in the COVID-19 IMPACT project, an international online survey examining the behavioral and psychological impacts of COVID-19 among 9,565 people from 78 countries/regions and 18 languages. Outcomes assessed were stress, depression symptoms and sleep changes. Predictors examined included sociodemographic factors, and perceived social support. Results Results demonstrated that, half of the HCWs had moderate levels of perceived stress and depression symptoms. Predictors associated with higher HCWs’ stress and depression symptoms included female gender, not having children, living with parents, lower educational background and having lower social support. Half of the HCWs (n = 800, 51.4%) continued to sleep about the same and one in four slept more or slept less. Positive predictors of sleep changes were being older, widower, not working, living with parents, and having children. Surprisingly, HCWs had less perceived stress and depression and higher levels of perceived social support than the general population. Conclusions The need for establishing ways to mitigate mental health risks and adjust psychological intervention and support of HCWs, seems to be significant as the pandemic continues. Keywords: health care workers, COVID – 19, pandemic, mental health, psychological problems

Download Full-text

Multinational Study to Assess Stress Levels Among the Health Care Workers of Radiation Oncology Community at the Outset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

JCO Global Oncology ◽

10.1200/go.20.00647 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 464-473

Author(s):

Tabassum Wadasadawala ◽

Anuj Kumar ◽

Sarbani Ghosh Laskar ◽

Soehartati Gondhowiardjo ◽

Smruti Mokal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Radiation Oncology ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Care Workers ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Anxiety Depression

PURPOSE To evaluate stress levels among the health care workers (HCWs) of the radiation oncology community in Asian countries. METHODS HCWs of the radiation oncology departments from 29 tertiary cancer care centers of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Nepal were studied from May 2020 to July 2020. A total of 758 eligible HCWs were identified. The 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire, and 22-Item Impact of Events Scale-Revised were used for assessing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done to identify the causative factors affecting mental health. RESULTS A total of 758 participants from 794 HCWs were analyzed. The median age was 31 years (IQR, 27-28). The incidence of moderate to severe levels of anxiety, depression, and stress was 34.8%, 31.2%, and 18.2%, respectively. Severe personal concerns were noticed by 60.9% of the staff. On multivariate analysis, the presence of commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19 during the previous 2 weeks, contact history (harzard ratio [HR], 2.04; CI, 1.15 to 3.63), and compliance with precautionary measures (HR, 1.69; CI, 1.19 to 2.45) for COVID-19 significantly predicted for increasing anxiety (HR, 2.67; CI, 1.93 to 3.70), depression (HR, 3.38; CI 2.36 to 4.84), and stress (HR, 2.89; CI, 1.88 to 4.43) ( P < .001). A significant regional variation was also noticed for anxiety, stress, and personal concerns. CONCLUSION This survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that a significant proportion of HCWs in the radiation oncology community experiences moderate to severe levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. This trend is alarming and it is important to identify and intervene at the right time to improve the mental health of HCWs to avoid any long-term impacts.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Health Care Workers and Other Workers in Alberta During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/22408 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. e22408 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kelly Mrklas ◽

Reham Shalaby ◽

Marianne Hrabok ◽

April Gusnowski ◽

Wesley Vuong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

High Stress ◽

Health Needs ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽

Care Workers ◽

Anxiety Depression

Background During pandemics, effective containment and mitigation measures may also negatively influence psychological stability. As knowledge about COVID-19 rapidly evolves, global implementation of containment and mitigation measures has varied greatly, with impacts to mental wellness. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health needs of health care workers and other workers may help mitigate mental health impacts and secure sustained delivery of health care and other essential goods and services. Objective This study assessed the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in health care workers and other workers seeking support through Text4Hope, an evidence-based SMS text messaging service supporting the mental health of residents of Alberta, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online cross-sectional survey gathered demographic (age, gender, ethnicity, education, relationship, housing and employment status, employment type, and isolation status) and clinical characteristics using validated tools (self-reported stress, anxiety, depression, and contamination/hand hygiene obsessive-compulsive symptoms). Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used to compare the clinical characteristics of health care workers and other workers. Post hoc analysis was conducted on variables with >3 response categories using adjusted residuals. Logistic regression determined associations between worker type and likelihood of self-reported symptoms of moderate or high stress, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, while controlling for other variables. Results Overall, 8267 surveys were submitted by 44,992 Text4Hope subscribers (19.39%). Of these, 5990 respondents were employed (72.5%), 958 (11.6%) were unemployed, 454 (5.5%) were students, 559 (6.8%) were retired, 234 (2.8%) selected “other,” and 72 (0.9%) did not indicate their employment status. Most employed survey respondents were female (n=4621, 86.2%). In the general sample, the 6-week prevalence rates for moderate or high stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were 85.6%, 47.0%, and 44.0%, respectively. Self-reported symptoms of moderate or high stress, anxiety, and depression were all statistically significantly higher in other workers than in health care workers (P<.001). Other workers reported higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms (worry about contamination and compulsive handwashing behavior) after the onset of the pandemic (P<.001), while health care worker symptoms were statistically significantly higher before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (P<.001). This finding should be interpreted with caution, as it is unclear the extent to which the adaptive behavior of health care workers or the other workers might be misclassified by validated tools during a pandemic. Conclusions Assessing symptoms of prevalent stress, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behavior in health care workers and other workers may enhance our understanding of COVID-19 mental health needs. Research is needed to understand more fully the relationship between worker type, outbreak phase, and mental health changes over time, as well as the utility of validated tools in health care workers and other workers during pandemics. Our findings underscore the importance of anticipating and mitigating the mental health effects of pandemics using integrated implementation strategies. Finally, we demonstrate the ease of safely and rapidly assessing mental health needs using an SMS text messaging platform during a pandemic. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/19292

Download Full-text

Comparison of knowledge, attitude, socioeconomic burden, and mental health disorders of COVID-19 pandemic between general population and health care workers in Egypt

The Egyptian Journal of Neurology Psychiatry and Neurosurgery ◽

10.1186/s41983-021-00280-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gellan K. Ahmed ◽

Haidi Karam-Allah Ramadan ◽

Samah Mohammed Refay ◽

Mohamed A. Khashbah

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Care Workers ◽

Socioeconomic Burden ◽

Anxiety Depression

Abstract Introduction The global devastating effect of COVID-19 has caused anxiety and fear to variable extent among the public. We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, socioeconomic burden, and the mental health problems regarding anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder during COVID-19 on the general population and HCWs in Egypt. Methods This study was conducted using a semi-structured online questionnaire in May 2020. Data on demographic features, socioeconomic scale, knowledge, and attitude regarding COVID-19 and the effect on different aspects of life were collected. Assessment was done using Arabic versions of Beck’s Anxiety Inventory, Beck’s Depression Inventory–II, and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. We divided participants into non-health care workers (non-HCWs) and HCWs groups. Results There were 524 participants who responded to the survey from 23 governorates. More than half of the participants were females (57.4%), middle age (53%), and middle socioeconomic class (66.6%). Non-HCWs were 402 and HCWs were 122. Most participants had good knowledge about the disease and a positive attitude toward protective measures particularly in HCWs. COVID-19 showed negative impact on different aspects of participants’ life. HCWs had higher frequency of anxiety (32%) and OCD (29%) than non-HCWs (30% and 28%, respectively) while non-HCWs had higher depression (69%) than HCWs (66.4%). HCWs had higher rates of severe depression (20.5%) with moderate and severe OCD (4.9%, 1.6% respectively) than non-HCWs. Female gender, young age, urban residence, students, smoking, history of medical illness, and low socioeconomic class were significant associated factors. Conclusions Health care workers had good knowledge about COVID-19 and a positive attitude toward the protective measures relative to non-HCWs. COVID-19 had a negative impact on different aspects of life and had a major association with the anxiety, depression, and OCD in both groups. Health professionals are more likely to have these psychological consequences.

Download Full-text

Health Care Workers' Mental Health During the First Weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Switzerland—A Cross-Sectional Study

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.594340 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Sonja Weilenmann ◽

Jutta Ernst ◽

Heidi Petry ◽

Monique C. Pfaltz ◽

Onur Sazpinar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Support ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frontline Staff ◽

Care Workers ◽

Anxiety Depression

Objective: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses various challenges for health care workers (HCWs). This may affect their mental health, which is crucial to maintain high quality medical care during a pandemic. Existing evidence suggests that HCWs, especially women, nurses, frontline staff, and those exposed to COVID-19 patients, are at risk for anxiety and depression. However, a comprehensive overview of risk and protective factors considering their mutual influence is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring HCWs' mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland, investigating the independent effect of various demographic, work- and COVID-related factors on HCWs' mental health.Methods: In an exploratory, cross-sectional, nation-wide online survey, we assessed demographics, work characteristics, COVID-19 exposure, and anxiety, depression, and burnout in 1,406 HCWs during the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland. Network analysis was used to investigate the associations among the included variables.Results: Women (compared to men), nurses (compared to physicians), frontline staff (compared to non-frontline workers), and HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients (compared to non-exposed) reported more symptoms than their peers. However, these effects were all small. Perceived support by the employer independently predicted anxiety and burnout after adjustment for other risk factors.Conclusion: Our finding that some HCWs had elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout underscores the importance to systematically monitor HCWs' mental health during this ongoing pandemic. Because perceived support and mental health impairments were negatively related, we encourage the implementation of supportive measures for HCWs' well-being during this crisis.

Download Full-text

Health Care Workers’ Mental Health During the First Weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Switzerland – A Cross-Sectional Study

10.31219/osf.io/zs4tp ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sonja Weilenmann ◽

Jutta Ernst ◽

Heidi Petry ◽

Monique Pfaltz ◽

Onur Sazpinar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Support ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

Anxiety Depression

Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses various challenges for health care workers (HCWs), which may impair their mental health. First evidence from China suggests that HCWs are at risk for anxiety and depression. However, generalizability to western countries is limited. The current study aimed at exploring HCWs’ mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland. In addition, we conducted a network analysis to investigate the independent effect of risk and protective factors on HCWs’ mental health and their interplay.Methods: In an exploratory, cross-sectional, nation-wide online survey, we assessed demographics, work characteristics, COVID-19 exposure, and anxiety, depression, and burnout in 857 physicians and 553 nurses during the pandemic in Switzerland. At the time of data collection, Switzerland had among the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 cases in the world.Results: Overall symptom levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout were elevated. Women, nurses, frontline staff and HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients reported more symptoms than their peers. However, these effects were all small and, in the network analysis, most of them did not remain significant after controlling for the other factors. Whereas COVID-19 exposure was only partially associated with mental health, perceived support by the employer independently predicted anxiety and burnout. Conclusions: Our finding that HCWs had elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout underscores the importance to systematically monitor HCWs’ mental health during this ongoing pandemic. Because perceived support and mental health impairments were negatively related, we encourage the implementation of supportive measures for HCWs’ well-being during this crisis.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Health Care Workers and Other Workers in Alberta During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.22408 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kelly Mrklas ◽

Reham Shalaby ◽

Marianne Hrabok ◽

April Gusnowski ◽

Wesley Vuong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

High Stress ◽

Health Needs ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽

Care Workers ◽

Anxiety Depression

BACKGROUND During pandemics, effective containment and mitigation measures may also negatively influence psychological stability. As knowledge about COVID-19 rapidly evolves, global implementation of containment and mitigation measures has varied greatly, with impacts to mental wellness. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health needs of health care workers and other workers may help mitigate mental health impacts and secure sustained delivery of health care and other essential goods and services. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in health care workers and other workers seeking support through Text4Hope, an evidence-based SMS text messaging service supporting the mental health of residents of Alberta, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An online cross-sectional survey gathered demographic (age, gender, ethnicity, education, relationship, housing and employment status, employment type, and isolation status) and clinical characteristics using validated tools (self-reported stress, anxiety, depression, and contamination/hand hygiene obsessive-compulsive symptoms). Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used to compare the clinical characteristics of health care workers and other workers. Post hoc analysis was conducted on variables with >3 response categories using adjusted residuals. Logistic regression determined associations between worker type and likelihood of self-reported symptoms of moderate or high stress, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, while controlling for other variables. RESULTS Overall, 8267 surveys were submitted by 44,992 Text4Hope subscribers (19.39%). Of these, 5990 respondents were employed (72.5%), 958 (11.6%) were unemployed, 454 (5.5%) were students, 559 (6.8%) were retired, 234 (2.8%) selected “other,” and 72 (0.9%) did not indicate their employment status. Most employed survey respondents were female (n=4621, 86.2%). In the general sample, the 6-week prevalence rates for moderate or high stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were 85.6%, 47.0%, and 44.0%, respectively. Self-reported symptoms of moderate or high stress, anxiety, and depression were all statistically significantly higher in other workers than in health care workers (P<.001). Other workers reported higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms (worry about contamination and compulsive handwashing behavior) after the onset of the pandemic (P<.001), while health care worker symptoms were statistically significantly higher before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (P<.001). This finding should be interpreted with caution, as it is unclear the extent to which the adaptive behavior of health care workers or the other workers might be misclassified by validated tools during a pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Assessing symptoms of prevalent stress, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behavior in health care workers and other workers may enhance our understanding of COVID-19 mental health needs. Research is needed to understand more fully the relationship between worker type, outbreak phase, and mental health changes over time, as well as the utility of validated tools in health care workers and other workers during pandemics. Our findings underscore the importance of anticipating and mitigating the mental health effects of pandemics using integrated implementation strategies. Finally, we demonstrate the ease of safely and rapidly assessing mental health needs using an SMS text messaging platform during a pandemic. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/19292

Download Full-text