Anxiety and Depression Levels of Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which causes a pandemic in the world, has started to appear in Turkey since March 2020. Healthcare workers are at the top of the groups most at risk for COVID-19 infection, which can have a negative impact on psychological state. <b>Objectives:</b> It was aimed to evaluate anxiety and depression levels among healthcare workers. <b>Methods:</b> This cross-sectional study performed via an online survey in April 2020. Participants answered questions about sociodemographic features, personal views and experiences about COVID-19 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). <b>Results:</b> A total of 300 healthcare workers, 193 men and 107 women, participated in the survey. According to HADS, 44.6% of participants scored above anxiety and 68.2% scored above depression cut-off points. Being younger than 50 and taking care of COVID-19 patients in hospitals were independently associated with anxiety risk. Female gender, young age (less than 50) and having a comorbidity were independent risk factors for depression. <b>Conclusion:</b> Healthcare workers were at high risk of anxiety and depression during COVID-19 outbreak. For this reason, psychological support should be given, especially to the group with high risk.