scholarly journals 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)

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 &gt;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 (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Other workers reported higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms (worry about contamination and compulsive handwashing behavior) after the onset of the pandemic (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), while health care worker symptoms were statistically significantly higher before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (<i>P</i>&lt;.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

scholarly journals 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

10.2196/22408 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e22408 ◽  
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

COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms vary among Healthcare and non-Healthcare Workers in Alberta (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Mrklas ◽  
Reham Shalaby ◽  
Marianne Hrabok ◽  
April Gusnowski ◽  
Wesley Vuong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽  
Anxiety Depression

BACKGROUND During pandemic disease episodes, effective containment and mitigation measures that limit the disease spread, may also negatively influence psychological stability. As knowledge about the novel SARS-CoV2 and COVID-19 disease rapidly evolves, global implementation of containment and mitigation measures has varied greatly, as have the impacts on mental wellness. Assessing relevant impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare and non-healthcare workers’ mental health needs may enable us to more effectively limit or mitigate mental health impact. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in healthcare and non-healthcare workers subscribing to Text4Help, an evidence-based, text message service supporting Alberta residents’ mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An online cross-sectional survey was used to gather demographic (age, sex, 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 associated obsessive-compulsive symptoms). Descriptive statistics summarized respondent demographics. Chi square analysis was used to compare healthcare to non-healthcare workers’ clinical characteristics. Post hoc analysis was conducted on variables with >3 response categories using adjusted residuals. We performed correlation analysis prior to logistic regression to determine the association between worker type and likelihood of respondent moderate to high stress, likely GAD and MDD, while controlling for other variables. RESULTS Overall, 8 267 surveys were submitted by 44 992 Text4Hope subscribers (19.39%). Of 5 990 employed respondents (72.5%), 958 (11.6 reported being unemployed, 454 (5.5%) were students, 559 (6.8%) were retired and 72 (0.9%) did not indicate their employment status. Most survey respondents in the employed category were female (86.2%, n=4 621). Six-week prevalence in the general sample for moderate/severe stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms was 85.6%, 47.0%, 44.0%, respectively. Self-reported moderate/high stress, anxiety and depression symptoms were all statistically significantly higher in non-healthcare than healthcare workers (p<0.001). The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive characteristics (worry about contamination and compulsive handwashing behavior) after pandemic onset was statistically significantly higher in non-healthcare than healthcare workers (p<0.001); however, the prevalence of healthcare worker worry about contamination and handwashing was statistically significantly higher than non-healthcare workers before the COVID-19 pandemic began (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Measurement of prevalent stress, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in healthcare and non-healthcare workers may enhance our understanding of mental health needs in the COVID-19 pandemic. Further investigation will be necessary to understand more fully the relationship between worker type, outbreak phase, work context, and mental health changes over time. Findings underscore the importance of anticipating and mitigating mental health effects using integrated confinement/mitigation implementation strategies, and demonstrate the ease of safely and rapidly assessing mental health needs using a voluntary participation text messaging platform, during a pandemic.

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

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.

Home Health Care of Veterans

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-54
Author(s):  
Jan Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Home Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Support Resources

This commentary familiarizes the reader with prevalent issues regarding home health care of veterans. The primary issue is the unfamiliarity of the caretaker—most often a family member—in understanding benefits, and accessing social support resources. Frequently caretakers experience depression resulting from the stress of the situation; therefore, their physical and mental health needs must be addressed. There is a need for increased training and education of health care workers, social workers, and caregivers, so that concerted support is present for veterans requiring home health care.

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

2020 ◽  
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.

Health-care workers’ knowledge and management skills of psychosocial and mental health needs and priorities of individuals with COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
Ayman Hamdan Mansour ◽  
Ahmad N. Al Shibi ◽  
Anas H. Khalifeh ◽  
Laith A. Hamdan Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manage Care ◽  
Care Workers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the knowledge and management skills of health-care workers regarding psychosocial and mental health priorities and needs of individuals with COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The data collected conveniently from 101 health-care workers in Jordan directly managing care of individuals with COVID-19. Findings Health-care workers have moderate-to-high level of knowledge and management skills of psychological distress related to COVID-19; means ranged from 50%–70% agreement and confidence. In general, health-care workers were able to identify mental and psychosocial health needs and priorities at a moderate level. Health-care workers knowledge had a positive and significant correlation with age (r = 0.24, p = 0.012) and years of experience (r = 0.28, p = 0.004), and a significant difference was found in their management between those who are trained on psychological first aids and those who are not (t = −3.11, p = 0.003). Practical implications There is a need to train health-care workers to integrate psychosocial and mental health care to manage care psychological distress related to COVID-19. Originality/value This study is emphasizing the need for mental health psychosocial support training and in integration. Health-care workers providing care to individuals with COVID-19 are not aware of mental health priorities and needs of their patients. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge adding more understanding about competencies of health-care workers providing care and their preparedness to manage care individuals with COVID-19.

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

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.

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

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402097580
Author(s):  
Yingqi Gu ◽  
Yi Zhu ◽  
Guangxing Xu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
City Government ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Anxiety Depression

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.

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