Relationship between Mental Health and Quality of Life among Health Care Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has serious consequences around the world, especially in the healthcare system. With a crucial role in the pandemic, mental health and quality of life among health care workers (HCWs) needs to be addressed. Purposes: The study aimed to describe mental health and the health-related quality of life among HCWs and explore the relationship between mental health and quality of life among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 6 April to 19 April 2020 at nine hospitals in Vietnam. The questionnaire included participant's characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). De-pression and anxiety were defined as PHQ scoregreater than or equal to 10 and GAD scoregreater than or equal to 8, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data with a significant level at p less than 0.05. Results: A total of 3,757 HCWs were enrolled in the study. Proportions of de-pression and anxiety were 4.5 Percentage and 3.1 Percentage, respectively. The overall mean score of HRQoL was 73.4 ± 14.9 (possible score range from 0 to 100). Protective factors of HRQoL consisted of physical activity, ability to pay for medication, gender, and social status, while its risk factors included suspected COVID-19 symptoms, smoking status. HRQoL was associated with depression (B(95 PercentageCI) = -8.15 (-10.76 to -5.55) and anxiety (B(95 PercentageCI) = -6.87 (-9.99 to -3.75)), p less than0.001. Conclusion: There was a relationship between mental health and the health-related quality of life among HCWs. Integration of healthy lifestyles and psychological support can help improve mental health and quality of life for HCWs during the pandemic.