Abstract
This study aimed to determine the relationship between acute stress and quality of life and explore their influencing factors on health care workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, and a sample of 525 health care workers was recruited from 15 hospitals through a convenient sampling method. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire to assess their acute stress and quality of life. Descriptive and multiple linear regression statistics were used for this analysis. The results regarding acute stress responses varied significantly among the differences in marital status, physical activity, work status, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, and the expected duration of the pandemic. Moreover, a younger age, lack of physical activity, being a front-line medical staff, and higher acute stress scores indicated a worse quality of life. Healthcare workers’ acute stress was negatively correlated with their quality of life. Therefore, the authorities should pay special attention to health care workers’ mental health and provide them with timely protection during the pandemic.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute respiratory disease caused by β-coronavirus, has spread worldwide since it first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 (Paules et al, 2020)
251 (55.2%) thought that the outbreak was under control, 292 (64.2%) believed the pandemic would last more than two months, and 408 (89.7%) thought they were at risk of contracting COVID19
Regarding the participants’ scores for Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ), among the 455 volunteers (356 women) who enrolled in the study, nearly half (48.8%) experienced dissociative reactions; 26.6% reported symptoms of trauma re-experience; 22.6% exhibited avoidance symptoms; 42.4% experienced hyperarousal, and 31.9% suffered from maladaptive behaviors
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute respiratory disease caused by β-coronavirus, has spread worldwide since it first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 (Paules et al, 2020). As of June 26, 2020, more than 9.2 million confirmed cases and 470,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, including 85,119 confirmed cases and 4,647 deaths in China (World Health Organization, 2020). The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, marking the third pandemic of coronavirus in the 21st century (Mahase, 2020). To control the COVID-19 pandemic swiftly, health care workers throughout China actively participated in medical treatment, disease prevention, and logistics support. Due to the shortage of personal protective materials in the early stages, the persistence of the disease, and the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, health care workers were at risk of being infected with COVID-19 (Van Doremalen et al, 2020).
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