Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and sleepiness levels of obstetricians and gynecologists in Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), emerged as a severe respiratory system disease in Wuhan city of China in December 2019 and suddenly spread through the world, so called a pandemic by World Health Organisation. The rapid transmission of Covid-19 pandemic increased the workload of healthcare staff. Additionally to workload, unknowns of the disease like treatment strategies, tips of protection methods have increased the distress of healthcare workers and have the risk to detoriate the mental status. All that psychological and physical stress factors may quickly destroy the anxiety level, sleep quality and mood of the healthcare workers. Materials and methods: In the study, a survey composed of socio-demographic features, Beck Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Epworth Sleepiness Scale of participants were used as data collection tool. . The internet survey is hold on from 18th April to 2nd May 2020 and completed survey count arrived to number 122. Results:According to results, 20.5% moderate and 8.2% of the physicians have shown severe depression signs. When anxiety levels were examined 83.7% of the physicians have displayed mild signs, 9.8% moderate and 6.5% have displayed severe anxiety signs. When hopelessness of the physicians were investigated, 29.5% of them have moderate and 8.2% have severe hopelessness signs. According to sleepiness situations, 20.5% of them have shown severe sleepiness signs. Conclusion: As anxiety levels of obstetricians and gynecologists have increased at pandemic period, depression levels have increased strongly; hopes of physicians have decreased and slept off.