Engelli Bakımevlerinde Covid-19 Salgınının Bakım Veren Yükü Üzerine Etkilerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

It is very well documented that the number of patients residing in nursing homes has increased in recent years due to disabilities related with mental diseases. There is mounting evidence of the enormous burden placed on caregivers who care for people suffering from mental illness. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the working conditions of personnel caring for mentally ill patients in nursing homes have deteriorated. Shifts with 14-day intervals and quarantine have been implemented in order to minimize the risk of transmission. We designed this study to ascertain the impact of the pandemic and the associated regulations, as well as the issues encountered in the routine work system, on the mental health of personnel. We used sociodemographic data form to determine the personnel's sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) to determine anxiety levels associated with Covid-19, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) to determine caregiver burden, and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to determine depressive symptoms. The participants' mean CAS score was found to be 2.72±2.91, their mean ZBI score was 41.6±10.6, and their mean MADRS score was 11.55±7.70. Nurses had significantly higher MADRS and ZBI scores than caregivers. There was a positive and significant correlation between ZBI scores, and CAS and MADRS scores (p<0.05). By using multiple regression analysis, it was determined that MADRS scores and the wage received was sufficient or insufficient to predict ZBI scores. The outcomes of our study indicated that the depressive symptom levels of nursing home personnel were higher than the anxiety levels related to the pandemic, and contributed to the increase in caregiver burden. Screening personnel for depression symptoms and providing required psychological support appears to be critical for enhancing service quality.