Depression, Anxiety and Stress among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jazan city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The mental health impact of a disease outbreak is usually neglected by pandemic management with costly consequences. Early evidence shows that health workers directly involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19 are at risk of developing mental health symptoms. Similar adverse psychological reactions were reported among healthcare workers in previous studies during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak. Objectives: to assess the prevalence and determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers at Prince Mohammed bin Nasser Tertiary Hospital in Jazan City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among healthcare worker at Prince Mohammed bin Nasser Hospital. A total of 352 health workers were included in the study. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire pertaining to socio-demographic characteristics and the depression anxiety stress scale 21-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated for study variables, including frequency and percentage for qualitative variables and the mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables. A chi-square test was used to compare categorical data. P 0.05 was used as an indicator of statistically significant differences. Results: A high proportion of mild depression and anxiety was observed among those who had chronic illness (25.7%) and for those who had insufficient personal protective equipment (16.9%). Those differences were statistically significant, with a high proportion of mild stress observed among 3.4% of those who experienced the death of a relative by COVID-19. Conclusion: There was a considerable prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among those who experienced the death of a relative from COVID-19 and those who had a chronic disease. Keywords: depression, anxiety, stress, healthcare worker, COVID-19, Jizan, Saudi Arabia