Frequency of Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Health Care Workers Serving in COVID-19 Wards

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lifestyles of millions of individuals worldwide and is likely to cause psychological health issues in those who work in Covid-19 wards. To find out the Frequency of depression, anxiety and stress in health care workers serving in Covid-19 wards. 
 Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, data were gathered from various hospitals in Lahore and 280 participants were recruited using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. The study included both male and female health care professionals, in particular doctors, nurses, and paramedics, working in Covid wards for at least one month in both the public and private sectors. Participants with experience of less than 1 month and lab workers were excluded from the study. Depression Anxiety and Stress scale was used to collect data. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to the participants and analyzed their response by using SPSS version 21.0 statistical software.
 Findings: The results showed that mean ±S.D of participants were 26.55±3.367. Among all participants 148 participants were female and 132 were males. Among 89 doctors 10 felt severe stress, 2 found moderate and 65 doctors were normal.136 Nurses participated in study and 15 felt severe stress, 53 found moderate stress working in COVID-19 wards. Among 55 paramedics, 7 participants felt severe stress, 13 found moderate stress working in COVID-19 wards. Among 89 doctor participants 17 found moderate depression, 77 nurses and 50 paramedics found moderate depression working in COVID-19 wards.
 Recommendations: It was concluded from the study high levels of stress and burnout, and moderate depression were found in Nurses', then paramedics were affected and least stress, depression and anxiety were found in doctors.