Journal Article

Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems of Medical Health Workers during the COVID-19 Epidemic in China

Zhang, Wen-rui, Yin, Lu, Zhao, Wen-feng, Yan, Tian-yi, Wang, Hong-xing, Yang, Yuan, Li, Wei, Cosci, Fiammetta, Wang, Kun, Xue, Qing, Min, Bao-quan, Tian, Qing, Han, Ying, Dong, Hui-qing, Chang, Hong, Leng, Hai-xia, Shangguan, Fang-fang, Peng, Mao, Wang, Yu-ping, Du, Jia-lin

2020

Overview

Objective: We explored whether medical health workers had more psychosocial problems than nonmedical health workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: An online survey was run from February 19 to March 6, 2020; a total of 2,182 Chinese subjects participated. Mental health variables were assessed via the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Symptom Check List-revised (SCL-90-R), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), which included a 2-item anxiety scale and a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2). Results: Compared with nonmedical health workers (n = 1,255), medical health workers (n = 927) had a higher prevalence of insomnia (38.4 vs. 30.5%, p < 0.01), anxiety (13.0 vs. 8.5%, p < 0.01), depression (12.2 vs. 9.5%; p< 0.04), somatization (1.6 vs. 0.4%; p < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (5.3 vs. 2.2%; p < 0.01). They also had higher total scores of ISI, GAD-2, PHQ-2, and SCL-90-R obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p ≤ 0.01). Among medical health workers, having organic disease was an independent factor for insomnia, anxiety, depression, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Living in rural areas, being female, and being at risk of contact with COVID-19 patients were the most common risk factors for insomnia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and depression (p < 0.01 or 0.05). Among nonmedical health workers, having organic disease was a risk factor for insomnia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.01 or 0.05). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 outbreak, medical health workers had psychosocial problems and risk factors for developing them. They were in need of attention and recovery programs.

• Publisher: S. Karger AG
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Anxiety - epidemiology / Anxiety - etiology / China / China - epidemiology / Clinical Note / Coronavirus Infections - psychology / COVID-19 / Cross-Sectional Studies / Depression - epidemiology / Depression - etiology / Epidemics / Female / Health aspects / Health Personnel - psychology / Humans / Logistic Models / Male / Medical personnel / Mental Health / Middle Aged / Multivariate Analysis / Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - epidemiology / Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - etiology / Pandemics / Pneumonia, Viral - psychology / Prevalence / Psychological aspects / Psychological manifestations of general diseases / Risk factors / Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology / Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - etiology / Social aspects / Surveys / Surveys and Questionnaires / Young Adult