Assessment of anxiety level of emergency health-care workers by generalized anxiety disorder-7 tool

Background: COVID-19 has brought psychological disorders that affect health care workers and the general public. Hence it is important to have necessary counselling to address the psychological, social aspects of the pandemic to ensure psychological well-being of especially Health-care Workers and preserve their innate and acquired immunity.Methods: The study was planned as single centre retrospective study and conducted between April and June 2020 at dedicated COVID-19 hospital in India. Front-line HCWs more than 18 years, of any gender working in COVID-19 hospital and willing to participate for the study were enrolled in the study. Study included two questionnaires, generalized anxiety disorder scale, and socio-demographics and COVID-19 related awareness questionnaire. Measurements were taken pre and post the psychological counselling intervention.Results: As per generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) scale people suffering from moderate anxiety disorder dropped from 19% (pre counselling) to 5% (post counselling) and severe cases dropped from 14% (pre counseling) to 2% (post counseling), there was statistically significant difference observed due to psychological intervention in GAD scale (Chi square test-10.794, p value=3.67E-27). Socio demographics and COVID-19 related awareness questionnaire results were statistically significant (Chi square test-11.945, p value=6.91E-33).Conclusions: Counselling interventions based on scientific data offered in groups by investigator with an accurate knowledge of the COVID-19 and its manifestation increased the confidence of health care workers (HCWs) and reduced anxiety level. This was translated into the full availability of HCWs on the clinical study site, although medical services were disrupted while other hospitals were starving due to lack of staff.

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The Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.658846 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Amir Adibi ◽

Mohamad Golitaleb ◽

Iman Farrahi-Ashtiani ◽

Davoud Pirani ◽

Kosar Yousefi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Care ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Psychological Problems ◽

Health Staff ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Care Workers

Introduction: Health care workers, due to be involved in caring for COVID-19 patients may experience various psychological problems including anxiety disorders. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic by systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods: The PRISMA guideline was used for conducting this study. Related keywords were searched in credited resources including ISC, Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, ProQuest, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Embase to find the articles published on the prevalence of GAD among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic from the first of January to the end of June 2020. Meta-analysis was conducted by the random effects model.Results: In this study, 553 articles were initially identified, from which 19 studies were finally included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the prevalence of GAD in health care workers based on the GAD-7 and GAD-2 instruments were 32.04% (95% CI: 26.89–37.19, I2 = 98.2%, p < 0.001) and 22.62% (95% CI: 9.01–36.24, I2 = 97.7%, p < 0.001). The overall prevalence of GAD was obtained 30.5% (95% CI: 25.58–35.42, I2 = 98.4%, p < 0.001).Conclusion: This study showed a relatively high GAD prevalence, as one of the fundamental psychological problems, among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, health system managers should implement preventive strategies to protect health staff from contracting the virus and monitor them for psychological problems and provide them with supportive measures if necessary.

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Its Associated Factors Among Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19 in Southern Ethiopia

Psychology Research and Behavior Management ◽

10.2147/prbm.s282822 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol Volume 13 ◽

pp. 907-917

Author(s):

Abinet Teshome ◽

Mustefa Glagn ◽

Mulugeta Shegaze ◽

Beemnet Tekabe ◽

Asmare Getie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Care Workers

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Mental health outcomes among health-care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran

Mental Health Review Journal ◽

10.1108/mhrj-10-2020-0075 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Ali Zakeri ◽

Mahlagha Dehghan ◽

Fatemeh Ghaedi Heidari ◽

Hassan Pakdaman ◽

Mehdi Mehdizadeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽

Content Type ◽

Care Workers

Purpose The increasing prevalence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global crisis that leads to physical and psychological outcomes for health-care workers, so this study aims to investigate the mental health outcomes (including general health, generalized anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder) in health-care workers in Rafsanjan, Iran. Design/methodology/approach By using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study was conducted on 332 health-care workers working in public hospitals in southern Iran. Data collection lasted from March to April 2020. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and Impact of Event Scale were used to collect data. The data were then analyzed by using SPSS 25 and descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square and multivariate logistic regression). Findings In total 45.5% of the participants had psychological disorder according to GHQ. In addition, 25.3% of the participants had GAD and 31.6% had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results using multivariate logistic regression showed that only income was significantly associated with psychological disorders (95% confidence interval for odds ratio: 1.32–6.45, P = 0.008). Practical implications According to the results, the incidence of GAD and PTSD was high among health-care workers. Therefore, it is recommended that the psychological skills of health-care workers be strengthened through counseling and training programs. Originality/value This paper provides a novel analysis of mental health in health-care workers in Iran.

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COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Anxiety in Pregnant Women

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147221 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7221

Author(s):

Urszula Nowacka ◽

Szymon Kozlowski ◽

Marcin Januszewski ◽

Janusz Sierdzinski ◽

Artur Jakimiuk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Contact ◽

Anxiety Level ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Main Concern ◽

Pregnancy Anxiety ◽

Fetal Wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak influenced general and mental health worldwide. The objective of this study was to assess the anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women and compare it between COVID-infected and non-infected groups. We prospectively assessed the daily routine and anxiety level using a bespoke questionnaire and GAD-7 scale validated for pregnant women. With logistic regression, we established possible risk factors of generalized anxiety disorder spectrum and main causes of concern. The dataset included 439 responders of our survey. Of which, 21% had COVID-19 infection during pregnancy; 38% were screened for possible generalized anxiety disorder and the proportion was higher in women who suffered from COVID-19 (48% vs. 35%, p = 0.03). Pre-pregnancy anxiety or depression diagnosis and intentional social contact avoidance increased the risk of anxiety (aOR 3.4 and 3.2). Fetal wellbeing was the main concern for 66% of the responders. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions substantially altered daily lives of pregnant women, exaggerating the prevalence of anxiety compared with the pre-COVID-19 studies (38% vs. 15%). COVID-19 infection during pregnancy was associated with increased levels of generalized anxiety scores. Patient-tailored psychological support should be a mainstay of comprehensive antenatal medical care in order to avoid anxiety- and stress-related complications.

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Health Care Utilization and Costs in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Initiating Add-on Therapy with Benzodiazepines

Health Outcomes Research in Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.ehrm.2011.11.002 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. e45-e54 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ariel Berger ◽

John Edelsberg ◽

Vamsi Bollu ◽

Jose Ma. J. Alvir ◽

Ashish Dugar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Utilization ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Generalized Anxiety

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Stress among Emergency Health Care Workers on Nuclear or Radiation Disaster: A Preliminary State Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168384 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8384

Author(s):

Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois ◽

Vincent Roux ◽

Bruno Pereira ◽

Mara Flannery ◽

Carole Pelissier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Cancer Control ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Emergency Health Care ◽

Point Increase ◽

Care Workers ◽

Stress Levels ◽

At Home

Background: The nuclear or radiation disaster risk within the French Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes state is low (but not absent) due to its proximity to four Nuclear Power Generation Centers and two regional cancer control centers. This study aims to compare subjective stress ratings for emergency health care workers regarding nuclear and radiation disasters between two locations: at work versus at home. Materials and Methods: We distributed an anonymous online questionnaire via RedCap® to all emergency health care workers who could be involved in patient care after a nuclear or radiation disaster. It comprised 18 questions divided into three parts—theoretical knowledge and practical assessment, stress assessment, and sociodemographic criteria. Results: We analyzed 107 responses. There was a significant 11-point increase in stress levels between work and home regarding nuclear or radiation disaster risks (p = 0.01). Less than 25% of emergency health care workers surveyed benefited from annual training. Conclusion: The stress levels of emergency health care workers regarding nuclear or radiation disaster were higher at work than at home and increased without annual training. It is important to increase knowledge about these protocols and to mandate yearly training for all workers potentially involved in these disasters.

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Mental Disorders Among Health Care Workers at the Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya; Findings of an Online Descriptive Survey

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665611 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Edith Kamaru Kwobah ◽

Ann Mwangi ◽

Kirtika Patel ◽

Thomas Mwogi ◽

Robert Kiptoo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Early Phase ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Care Workers

Background: Healthcare workers responding to the Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) are at risk of mental illness. Data is scanty on the burden of mental disorders among Kenyan healthcare workers responding to the pandemic that can inform mental health and psychosocial support. The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency and associated factors of worry, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and poor quality of sleep among Kenyan health care workers at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted an online survey among 1,259 health care workers in Kenya. A researcher developed social demographic questionnaire and several standardized tools were used for data collection. Standardized tools were programmed into Redcap, (Research Electronic Data Capture) and data analysis was performed using R Core Team. In all analysis a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.Results: 66% of the participants reported experiencing worry related to COVID-19. 32.1% had depression, 36% had generalized anxiety, 24.2% had insomnia and 64.7% scored positively for probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Depression was higher among females compared to men (36.5 vs. 26.9%, p = 0.003), workers <35 years old compared to older ones (38.1 vs. 26.4%, p < 0.001), and those who were not married compared to those who were married (40.6 vs. 27.6%, p < 0.001). Generalized anxiety was commoner among workers aged <35 years (43.5 vs. 29.3%, p < 0.001), females (41.7 vs. 29.2%, p < 0.001), those who mere not married compared to the married (45.2 vs. 31.2%, p < 0.001) and those with <10 years working experience (41.6 to 20.5%, p < 0.001). Younger health care professional had a higher proportion of insomnia compared to the older ones (30.3 vs. 18.6%, p < 0.001). Insomnia was higher among those with <10 years' experience compared to those with more than 20 years' experience(27.3 vs. 17.6%, p = 0.043)Conclusion: Many Kenyan healthcare workers in the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic suffered from various common mental disorders with young, female professionals who are not married bearing the bigger burden. This data is useful in informing interventions to promote mental and psychosocial wellbeing among Kenyan healthcare workers responding to the pandemic.

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