COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde serbest eczacıların anksiyete düzeyi: İstanbul’da bir kesitsel araştırma

Abstract

Eczacılar, 2019 Koronavirüs Hastalığı (COVID-19) pandemisi döneminde sağlık hizmetlerinin ön saflarında çalışmaktadır. Bu süreçte hastalarla birebir temas halinde olmaları ve çalışma şartlarındaki değişiklikler ruhsal iyilik hallerini etkileyebilir ve anksiyeteye sebep olabilir. Alanyazında COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde, diğer sağlık çalışanlarının ruhsal iyilik halleri ve anksiyete düzeylerine ilişkin araştırmalar mevcut iken araştırmalar eczacıların deneyimini anlamak için yetersizdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde İstanbul’da görev yapmakta olan eczacıların anksiyete düzeyini ve onu etkileyebilecek faktörleri tespit etmektir. Araştırmanın evreni İstanbul’daki eczanelerde görev yapan serbest eczacılardır. Kesitsel türdeki bu araştırmada basit rastgele örnekleme yöntemi ile 348 eczane seçilmiştir. Seçilen eczanelere telefon ile ulaşılıp; sosyo- demografik bilgiler, çalışma bilgileri ve COVID-19’a özgü endişeler hakkında sorular ile Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği maddeleri yöneltilmiştir. Örnek gruptaki eczacıların %68,7’ine (n=239) ulaşılmıştır. Pande- minin 6. ayı itibariyle İstanbul’daki eczacıların anksiyete ölçeği puanı ortalamasının 9,4±10,6 olduğu ve %54,8’inin (n=134) “minimal düzeyde anksiyete” sahibi olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bununla beraber COVID-19’a özgü bazı endişelerinin (hastalığa yakalanma ve çevresine bulaştırma) çok ve aşırı çok hissedildiği ve bu endişelerin genel anksiyete puanını istatistiksel olarak önemli düzeylerde etkilediği tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuç, eczacıların psikolojik olarak pandemiyle başa çıkabildiklerini göstermesi itibariyle halk sağlığı açısından ümit verici olarak yorumlanabilir.

Keywords

• Anksiyete
• COVID-19
• Eczacı
• Kaygı
• Ruh Sağlığı

Anxiety levels of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Istanbul

Abstract

Community pharmacists have been on the frontlines during the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Although the mental health and anxiety levels of many other health workers are studied in this period, literature is very limited to understand the experience of pharmacists. This study aims to define the anxiety level of community pharmacists in Istanbul during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify possible influencing factors. The population of the study is community pharmacists from pharmacies in Istanbul. In this cross-sectional study, 348 pharmacies are selected by simple random sampling. Participants are approached via telephone and inquired with questions about sociodemographic information, work conditions, COVID-19 specific concerns, and the Beck Anxiety Inven- tory. 239 (68.7%) pharmacists responded. This study identifies that, by the 6th month of the pandemic, the mean anxiety score of the pharmacists in Istanbul is 9.4±10.6, and 54.8% (n=134) of the participants is experiencing “minimal” anxiety. However, they have some COVID-19 specific concerns (becoming infected and transmitting the disease to family or environment) at high and extreme levels. Those concerns significantly increase the anxiety score. The findings of this study are promising for public health, as they show that community pharmacists could cope with the psychological effects of the pandemic.

Keywords

• Anxiety
• COVID-19
• Mental Health
• Community Pharmacists

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