Healthcare Worker's Mental Health and Their Associated Predictors During the Epidemic Peak of COVID-19

Yinmei Yang; Lili Lu; Tom Chen; Shangyuan Ye; Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa; Na Cao; Qian Zhang; Tonger Liang; Wei Wang

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S290931

Healthcare Worker's Mental Health and Their Associated Predictors During the Epidemic Peak of COVID-19

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Feb 24:14:221-231. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S290931. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yinmei Yang¹, Lili Lu², Tom Chen³, Shangyuan Ye³, Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa¹, Na Cao¹, Qian Zhang⁴, Tonger Liang⁵, Wei Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China.
³ Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴ Department of Dermatology, General Hospital of Jincheng Coal Mining Group, Jincheng, Shanxi, 048006, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Department of General Practice, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, People's Republic of China.
⁶ School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Introduction: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses an unprecedented challenge to healthcare workers (HCWs) globally. This study investigated potential factors related to depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of Chinese HCWs during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to Chinese HCWs using respondent-driven sampling. Data were collected between February 13th and February 20th, 2020, immediately following the COVID-19 contagion peak in Hubei. A total of 1208 respondents were eligible for analysis. Mental health problems and social support were measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSS).

Results: The prevalence rates of depression, (DASS-depression > 9) anxiety (DASS-anxiety > 7) and stress (DASS-stress > 14) were 37.8%, 43.0% and 38.5%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that stress, anxiety, and depression were positively related to lower levels of social support, longer working hours, discrimination experience and workplace violence. The scarcity of medical equipment was correlated with increased stress and depression. Chinese HCWs working at COVID 19 designated hospitals were more likely to report anxiety. Additionally, volunteering to work in the frontline health facilities was inversely associated with depression.

Conclusion: Mental health problems among Chinese HCWs were alarming during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic. Health facilities require appropriate and standing services that address the mental health of healthcare workers, particularly during epidemic outbreaks.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; depression; healthcare workers; mental health; pandemic; stress.

Grants and funding

The study was supported by the Postdoctoral research fund of Jiangsu province [grant number 2020Z177], the China Association for Science and Technology [20200608CG080611], Universities' philosophy and social science researches in Jiangsu Province [2020SJA1053] and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [82003484].