Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Symptomatology Among Dental Healthcare Workers in Russia: Results of a Pilot Study.

Maria Sarapultseva,Igor Kritsky,Alexey Sarapultsev,Natal'Ya Nasretdinova,Alena Zolotareva

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020708

Abstract

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection has increased the risk of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at greater risk than other occupational groups. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to explore the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD among dental HCWs in Russia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The survey was carried out among 128 dental HCWs from three dental clinics of Ekaterinburg, Russia. The mean age of the sample was 38.6 years. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21); PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Symptom Scale-Self-Report (PSS-SR); subjective distress was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The results indicated that 20.3–24.2% HCWs had mild to extremely severe symptoms of psychological distress, and 7.1–29.7% had clinical symptoms of PTSD. No differences between females and males were revealed. HCWs working directly with patients had significantly higher levels of PTSD symptoms and the risk of PTSD development compared to those working indirectly, whereas older HCWs had significantly higher levels of both psychological distress and PTSD symptoms compared to younger HCWs. Thus, dental HCWs are at high risk for psychological distress and PTSD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection has deeply affected the world
58% of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the U.K. met the threshold for clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), anxiety, or depression [3]; in China, the prevalence rates of these conditions were estimated at 9.8–50.4%, 27.1–44.6%, and 15.0–25.0%, respectively [7,8]; and in Italy, about 22% and 40% of HCWs
This study aimed to explore the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD among dental HCWs in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

The increasing numbers of patients and outbreak-affected countries have elicited public worry and increased the risk of mental health problems (insomnia, anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders, including the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The psychological burden of healthcare workers (HCWs) has received heightened awareness, with research continuing to show high rates of mental disorders among them in most countries, including China, the U.K., U.S.A., India, and Italy [3,4,5,6]. 58% of HCWs in the U.K. met the threshold for clinically significant PTSD, anxiety, or depression [3]; in China, the prevalence rates of these conditions were estimated at 9.8–50.4%, 27.1–44.6%, and 15.0–25.0%, respectively [7,8]; and in Italy, about 22% and 40% of HCWs. Int.

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