Factors Associated With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Nurses During COVID-19.

Hu Jiang,Shangpeng Shi,Hengping Pu,Nanqu Huang,Weiyan Tian,Guanghui Yang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.745158

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), perceived professional benefits and post-traumatic growth (PTG) status among Chinese nurses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare the differences between nurses working inside and outside Hubei.MethodsFrom February 18 to February 25, 2020, the authors constructed the questionnaire using the Questionnaire Star platform, and convenience sampling was used to distribute the questionnaire via WeChat. Nurses who worked at the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic were the research subjects.ResultsA total of 3,419 questionnaires were received, of which 2,860 nurses were working outside Hubei Province and 559 nurses were working inside Hubei Province. Both groups were exposed to COVID-19. The results indicated that gender, job title, department, average monthly income, the number of night shifts per month, hospital classification, specialization, and previous experience with assisting during disasters were statistically significant. The t-test results showed that the difference in perceived professional benefits scores between the two groups was not statistically significant, and the differences in PTG scores and PTSD scores between the two groups were statistically significant. The chi-square test indicated that the difference in PTSD prevalence between nurses working outside and inside Hubei Province was statistically significant and that the PTSD prevalence of nurses working outside Hubei Province was higher than that of nurses working inside Hubei Province. One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test results showed that age, job title, job assignment, length of service, average monthly income, number of night shifts per month, number of children, and the Nurses’ Perceived Professional Benefits Scale (NPPBS) and post-traumatic growth inventory (PTGI) scores influenced the prevalence of PTSD. Logistic regression showed that the occurrence of PTSD was associated with average monthly income, length of service, number of children, and the PTGI and NPPBS scores.ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses working outside Hubei Province reported greater PTSD than those working inside Hubei Province. The occurrence of PTSD was related to average monthly income, length of service, number of children, and the PTGI and NPPBS scores.

Highlights

In recent years, the incidence of infectious disease has increased as new pathogens have been discovered, collectively creating enormous challenges for society regarding disease control (Esposito, 2016)
The latest studies show that medical personnel exposed to COVID-19 have a higher incidence of depression and anxiety, and the symptoms are severe in nurses (Lai et al, 2020)
The results showed that age, job title, job assignment, length of service, average, monthly income, number of night shifts per month, number of children, and the Nurses’ Perceived Professional Benefits Scale (NPPBS) and post-traumatic growth inventory (PTGI) scores influenced whether nurses had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Table 4)

Summary

Introduction

The incidence of infectious disease has increased as new pathogens have been discovered, collectively creating enormous challenges for society regarding disease control (Esposito, 2016). Public health emergencies require coordination among different personnel at a large scale, and participants, medical personnel, are subjected to high stress levels that could lead to psychological disorders. A survey during the SARS pandemic suggested that the high level of stress, anxiety and depression faced by medical personnel may have caused a longterm psychological impact (Preti et al, 2020). The latest studies show that medical personnel exposed to COVID-19 have a higher incidence of depression and anxiety, and the symptoms are severe in nurses (Lai et al, 2020). Previous research has focused on mainly the negative impact of the high volume of public health demands on nurses, with less attention given to the growth of nurses while providing disaster assistance (Preti et al, 2020; Feingold et al, 2022)

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Discussion

Conclusion