The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 251 - 257, 13.05.2023

Elif İnönü , Selvi Ceran , Pelin Aydın , Mediha Nur Nişancı Yılmaz , Yasemin Hosgören Alıcı , Çaşıt Olgun Çelik

https://doi.org/10.54617/adoklinikbilimler.1208200

Abstract

Aim: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been potentially affecting the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) especially frontline workers due to isolation and loss of social support, risk of transmission to friends and relatives. We aimed to evaluate the mental health status of healthcare workers during the pandemic with the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28).
Materials and Method: This was a single-center, cross-sectional study with a population of 250 health workers at Baskent University. The GHQ-28 scale was used to detect mental disorders in study participants. The online questionnaire was transferred via official email to the participants. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multiple logistic regression analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was set as statistically significant with a confidence interval of 95% level.
Results: Of the respondents (n=250), 66% (n=165) were women and 61% were between 20-45 years, and 63.2% were married. Compared with second line health workers (n=196), frontline workers (n=54) had a higher prevalence of somatic symptoms (p<0.01), anxiety/insomnia and depression (p<0.01). Multiple regression analyses showed that younger age (≤55 years), female gender and being frontline workers were more likely to have mental problems (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Evaluating the mental status of HCWs and providing psychological support are essential to increase healthcare professionals’ ability to manage the pandemic process.

Keywords

COVID-19, Healthcare workers, Mental health

Supporting Institution

Başkent Üniversitesi

Project Number

D-KA 20/13

Thanks

None

COVID-19 Pandemisinin Sağlık Çalışanlarının Mental Sağlığına Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Coronavirüs Hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) pandemisi, izolasyon ve sosyalleşme kısıtlaması, arkadaş ve akrabalara bulaştırma riski vb. nedenlerle sağlık çalışanlarının özellikle
birinci basamak sağlık çalışanlarının mental sağlığını etkileme potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışmanın amacı sağlık çalışanlarının pandemi sürecinde mental sağlık durumlarını Genel Sağlık Anketi-28 (GHQ-28) ile değerlendirmektir.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu araştırma, tek merkezli, kesitsel bir çalışmadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini Başkent Üniversitesi’nde görev yapan 250 sağlık çalışanı oluşturmuştur. Mental rahatsızlıkların saptanmasında tarama aracı olarak 28 maddelik GHQ-28 kullanılmıştır. Çevrimiçi anket, katılımcılara resmi e-posta yoluyla iletilmiştir. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U testleri ve çoklu lojistik regresyon analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Anlamlılık, p<0.05 olarak belirlenmiş ve güven aralığı %95 düzeyinde belirlenmiştir.
Bulgular: Ankete katılanların büyük çoğunluğu (n=250) kadın (%66), 20-45 (%61) yaş arasında ve evlidir (%63.2). İkinci basamak sağlık çalışanları (n=196) ile karşılaştırıldığında birinci basamak çalışanları (n=54) istatistiksel olarak daha yüksek somatik semptom (p<0.01), anksiyete/uykusuzluk ve depresyon (p<0.01) prevalansına sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çoklu regresyon analizlerine göre, genç yaş (≤55 yaş), kadın cinsiyet ve birinci basamak çalışan olmak mental problemlere sahip olma riskini arttırmaktadır (p <0.01).
Sonuç: Sağlık çalışanlarının mental durumlarının değerlendirilmesi ve psikolojik destek sağlanması, sağlık çalışanlarının pandemi sürecini yönetme becerisini artırmak için önemlidir.

Keywords

COVID-19, Sağlık çalışanları, Mental sağlık, Genel Sağlık Anketi-28, Healthcare workers, Mental health, General Health Questionnaire-28

Project Number

D-KA 20/13

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