Anxiety and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the anxiety and insomnia levels of healthcare workers were investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study was the healthcare workers serving in a district health directorate. The data was collected through questionnaire forms which were applied through face-to-face interviews. The form, which consisted of three parts, included questions about the descriptive characteristics of the participants, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Test and the Insomnia Severity Index. Results: 85.6% (n=149) of the study population was reached. The mean age was 35.70 ± 9.27 and 71.5% of the participants were women. 82.3% were college graduates and 10.8% were physicians. 31.5% of all participants worked in the public health services and 24.6% of them worked in oral and dental health centers. While 33.1% of the workers continued their usual duties in the pandemic period, 27.7% of them were working on case tracing and 16.9% of them in the Public Health Management System. 19.2% of the participants were diagnosed with COVID-19. 52.3% of the workers had generalized anxiety disorder and 53.1% of them presented with insomnia. 36.9% of the participants had both generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia. According to education level, high school graduates were the group that had the lowest proportion of anxiety disorder and insomnia (p=0.029; p=0.031, respectively). Conclusions: Anxiety and insomnia are common in district health directorate workers who are at the frontline against the pandemic. The protection of healthcare workers is an important part of the measures to be taken during the pandemic. In order to provide sufficient human resources both in maintaining the well-being of workers and of healthcare services; the mental health problems of healthcare workers should be given high priority. Only thus can the important healthcare services they provide to society continue without disruption.

Keywords

• Healthcare workers
• COVID-19
• anxiety
• insomnia

COVID-19 pandemisinde görev yapan sağlık çalışanlarında anksiyete belirtileri ve uykusuzluk

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, COVID-19 pandemisi döneminde görev yapan sağlık çalışanlarının anksiyete ve uykusuzluk düzeyleri incelenmiştir. Yöntem: Kesitsel türde olan bu çalışmanın evrenini bir ilçe sağlık müdürlüğünde görevli sağlık çalışanları oluşturmaktadır. Veriler yüz yüze görüşme yoluyla uygulanan anket formlarıyla toplanmıştır. Üç bölümden oluşan anket formunda katılımcıların tanımlayıcı özelliklerine yönelik sorular, Yaygın Anksiyete Bozukluğu-7 Testi ve Uykusuzluk Şiddeti İndeksi yer almaktadır. Bulgular: Çalışma evreninin %85.6’sına (n=149) ulaşılmıştır. Yaş ortalaması 35.70±9.27 olup %71.5’i kadındır. %82.3’ü üniversite mezunu, %10.8’i hekimdir. Halk sağlığı hizmetleri biriminde görev yapanlar tüm personelin %31.5’ini; ağız ve diş sağlığı merkezinde görev yapanlar ise %24.6’sını oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcıların %33.1’i pandemi döneminde de aynı görevine devam ederken, %27.7’si vaka filyasyonu, %16.9’u ise Halk Sağlığı Yönetim Sistemi işlemlerinde görev yapmaktadır. COVID-19 tanısı alanların oranı %19.2’dir. Çalışanların %52.3’ünde yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu, %53.1’inde uykusuzluk mevcuttur. Hem yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu hem de uykusuzluk olanların oranı %36.9’dur. Öğrenim durumuna göre, lise mezunları anksiyete bozukluğu ve uykusuzluğun en az olduğu gruptur (sırasıyla p=0.029; p=0.031). Sonuç: Pandemiyle mücadelede ön safta görev yapan ilçe sağlık müdürlüğü personelinde yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu ve uykusuzluk sık görülmektedir. Çalışanların korunması pandemi döneminde alınması gereken önlemlerin önemli bir parçasıdır. Hem çalışanların iyilik halinin sürdürülmesi hem de sağlık hizmetlerinin yürütülmesinde yeterli insan kaynağını sağlayabilmek için sağlık çalışanlarının ruh sağlığı sorunlarına önem verilmelidir. Bu sayede hem çalışanların sağlıkları korunacak hem de topluma sundukları sağlık hizmeti aksamadan devam edecektir.

Keywords

• Sağlık çalışanları
• COVID-19
• anksiyete
• uykusuzluk

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