Mental Health Outcomes and Mental Hygiene in the COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Healthcare Workers from a Regional Hospital in Ghana.

Abstract

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is affecting healthcare workers (HCWs) in unique ways which include the risk of infection and subsequent transmission to their colleagues and families, the issue of vulnerability due to lack of PPEs and access to equipment needed to provide best care for patients, moral injury in making triage decisions, the lack of professional and/or social support and psychological burdens during this period. This study thus investigates the mental health outcomes (fear, depression, anxiety, and stress) and mental hygiene among HCWs in Ghana in this COVID-19 era.MethodsThe study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design.ResultsOur findings revealed a shared count of psychological outcomes among HCWs in Ghana. State anxiety was a prominent psychological outcome among HCWs. Being a female HCW was significantly associated with state anxiety. Correlation analysis showed a positive and significant relationship among all the psychological outcomes at P<0.05 and 0.01. There were no mental hygiene systems and/or structures in place at the regional hospital.ConclusionIt is recommended that healthcare facilities and systems must swiftly implement and establish mental hygiene structures for their HCWs in this period of the pandemic to secure holistic, balanced life, and professional support for HCWs now and beyond this pandemic.