Mental health problems in health-care workers of tertiary level COVID-19 care centers in Central India

Abstract

Background: The health-care workers (HCWs) who are overburdened during the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of developing psychological disorders. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 among the HCWs and to study their correlates. Material and Methods: The study is an online multicentric cross-sectional survey of mental health problems in the HCWs of three tertiary level COVID care centers in Central India. HCWs were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: Out of 467 HCWs assessed, 25.5% of the participants had depression (defined by PHQ-9 score of more than 5), whereas anxiety was present in 24.4% of the study subjects (defined by GAD-7 score of more than 5). Forty-six percent of the participants had medium-to-high levels of fear of COVID-19. Female gender, working in the nonclinical department, direct involvement in care of COVID-19 patients, perceived worsening of physical health status following the pandemic outbreak, and past history of psychiatric problem were the factors significantly associated with presence of depression as well as anxiety. Age of the participant had a positive correlation with fear of COVID-19 and a negative correlation with depression and anxiety levels. Conclusion: HCWs serving in COVID hospitals are vulnerable to develop mental health problems and appropriate screening measures and interventions should be designed so as to preserve mental health of this vital task force.