Abstract
Aim: This research aims to determine the impact of the unit they work at and being diagnosed with Covid-19 on the secondary traumatic stress level in midwives. Method: Sample of the cross-sectional and comparative research consists of 170 midwives working in a province located in the east of Turkey. The data was collected with Personal Information Form and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS). Descriptive statistics, t-test in independent groups and One-way Anova Analysis were used for data analysis. Results: It was determined that 27.1% of the midwives work at Covid service, 28.8% work at community health/family health centres and 44.1% work at other services. It was determined that the rate of midwives who were diagnosed with Covid-19 during the pandemic was 69.4%, the rate of midwives whose close colleagues were diagnosed with Covid-19 was 90.0%. It was found that average scores that midwives get from STSS total and all subdimensions varied statistically significantly between the units they work at (p<0.05) and this variance was caused by midwives working at Covid service and other services. It was determined that average score obtained from STSS total, “avoidance” and “stimulation” subdimensions was statistically significantly lower in midwives who were diagnosed with Covid-19 (p<0.05). In addition, it was determined that average score obtained from STSS total, “emotional violation” and “stimulation” subdimensions was statistically significantly higher in midwives whose close colleagues were diagnosed with Covid-19 (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that midwives working at Covid-19 services experience higher secondary traumatic stress than those working at other services. In addition, while secondary traumatic stress level is higher in midwives whose close colleagues were diagnosed with Covid-19, it was determined that secondary traumatic stress level is lower in midwives who are diagnosed with Covid-19 than those who are not diagnosed.
Highlights
Breaking out in China, Covid-19 pandemic has spread to other countries quickly and become a big health issue
While the rate of midwives who were diagnosed with Covid-19 during the pandemic was 69.4%, the rate of having positive Covid-19 diagnosis among close colleagues was 90.0% (Table 1)
It was determined that Stress Scale (STSS) total and “emotional violation” and “stimulation” subdimension average scores of the midwives whose close colleagues are diagnosed with Covid-19 are higher than midwives whose close colleagues are not diagnosed with Covid-19 (Table 3)
Summary
Breaking out in China, Covid-19 pandemic has spread to other countries quickly and become a big health issue. This pandemic is a global health crisis with big and devastating outcomes for individuals and societies. It is a global source of traumatic stress which might affect people directly or indirectly [1]. Both previous researches and recent findings indicate that contagious diseases and pandemics might be quite traumatic experiences and cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic psychological disorders for some people [1]. Interruption of the daily life with quick spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to restrict the disease as a result of this (for example, travel restrictions, closing schools and workplaces and lockdown, etc.) has created numerous difficulties and stress such as job loss [2].
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