Frequency of acute stress disorder in health care workers of a tertiary level pediatric hospital during the National Safe Distance Strategy for COVID-19 prevention.

Abstract

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is one of the most frequent mental illnesses occurring during sanitary emergencies. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of ASD in health care workers of a tertiary level pediatric hospital during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which health care workers completed a virtual questionnaire, including sociodemographic information and the ASD scale. We analyzed 206 questionnaires. The population was divided into three groups: attending physicians, medical residents, and nursing personnel. The frequency of health care workers who showed at least nine symptoms of ASD was 88.8%. No significant differences were found between the studied groups. ASD is a frequent condition in health care workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to investigate further and assess risk and protective factors for developing this and other psychopathologies in this population.