The COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Anxiety and Depression among Moroccan Healthcare Worker’s

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global crisis; it has prompted each country to take the necessary measures, starting with the health sector with its different material and human resources. This study evaluates the anxiety and depression of a group of 403 healthcare workers across Morocco using a Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) assessment scale during this crisis. The results show severe anxiety among the healthcare workers in the COVID-19 services compared to staff who do not work in the COVID-19 department with a very significant p-value <0.0001. Insurmountable psychological pressure on nurses leads to various problems such as anxiety, fear, frustration, depression and insomnia that affect quality of life and require psychological support.

Socio-Demographic, Clinical Profile, Life Stress Events and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Patients with First Attempt Suicide

Background: Contemporary literature focuses on various socio-demographic, clinical profile and psychiatric comorbitidies in patients with first attempt suicide. Aim: 1. To study the socio-demographic factors and the clinical profile of subjects with the first attempt suicide. 2. To assess the severity of depression and severity of stress due to various stressful events in patients with first attempt suicide. 3. To assess the severity of the suicide intent in patients with first attempt suicide. 4. To study the association between socio demographic profile of the patients with severity of depression, severity of suicide intent and severity of stress. Materials and Methods: Hundred fifteen patients were assessed using Hamilton rating scale for depression, becks suicide intent scale, Holmes-Rahe life stress inventory, MINI international neuropsychiatric interview. The data was analysed using the statistical software SPSS version 20. Results: The sample of 115 patients showed mean age to be 29 years, majority of them being males (58%). With most common mode of attempting suicide to be drug overdose and most of the patients had adjustment issues due to various domestic household issues and financial stressors. The severity of depression was mild and suicide intent were low (67%). In our study chi square finding association between various socio demographic variables and severity of depression found to be highly significant. It was strongest among gender at p value 0.009, occupation in which depression was found mostly among employed patients and housewives at p value 0.001. Results also found depression more common among participants with urban background at p value 0.03 and family type being nuclear at p value 0.05. Conclusion: Promoting healthy coping mechanism and reduction in stress is required to reduce self-harm. As is evident from the study, modifying the interpersonal relationship problems in the family might help in preventing many of suicide attempts/intentional self-harm and therefore important to address their various life events that might be stressful for them forcing them to take this step. In a country like India, where formal mental health resources are limited and are attached to a stigma, it is important to provide adequate information also among people hailing from lower economic status.