Depression In Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Depression and Its Impact on Various Aspects of Life - A Narrative Review

Abstract: Depression is a mental disorder that affects 279 million people. Patients with depression will not only have an impact on themselves but can also have an impact on others. Provide an overview of the impact of depression on health workers, workers, students and patients, as well as the prevention of depression. Data on the impact of depression and its prevention using the Google Scholar and Pubmed search engine. Depression in healthcare workers can affect the occurrence of misdiagnosis of a patient's disease, reduce the quality of service, and increase the risk of suicide. Depression in other workers can result in lost productivity and income, absenteeism, presenteeism, and accidents in the workplace. Depression in students causes decreased student achievement, difficulties concentrating and social interactions, and absenteeism. In patients with physical illness, depression can increase the risk of mortality, re-hospitalization, higher costs, poor treatment adherence, and lost followup. Depression prevention can help lower the risk of depression by up to 21%. This prevention must be done as early as possible and starts from the scope of prevention at the family level. Then this prevention can be done individually, especially for those with a high risk of experiencing depression. The last prevention is universal prevention (population) which can be started by educating the community. Depression can happen to anyone and will have a detrimental impact on themselves and others. Prevention of depression should be done as early as possible to prevent the impacts of depression.

Relationship of Stress and Insomnia with Depression among Health Care Workers in Hamadan, Iran: Application of Path Analysis

Objectives: Various causal pathways play a role in the occurrence of depression in healthcare workers. This study aimed to assess the effect of perceived stress and insomnia on depression in healthcare workers using path analysis in Hamadan, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, healthcare workers from Shahid Beheshti and Sina hospitals in Hamedan in 2023 were recruited. Perceived stress with two subscales of perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy, as well as insomnia and depression, were investigated using validated questionnaires. The path analysis was applied to assess the association. Results: In total, 235 healthcare workers (35.7% nurses) were included. Gender, age, monthly working hours, and number of night shifts per month had a significant impact on depression (P<0.05). Path analysis demonstrated that except for the effect of perceived self-efficacy on insomnia, all standardized regression weights for relationships were statistically significant (P<0.05). The effect size of perceived helplessness on depression was the strongest compared to other relationships (standardized regression weight = 0.40). The direct effect of perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy on depression or insomnia as a mediator had a good fit to the data. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, with the implementation of intervention and preventive programs to reduce stress and improve sleep, the occurrence of depression in healthcare workers is expected to decrease significantly.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition in Mexican healthcare personnel.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify anxiety and depression in health personnel who suffered COVID-19, and to associate them with blood inflammatory markers. Materials and methods: The design of this study was descriptive and cross-sectional. We evaluated 51 healthcare workers who survived COVID-19 disease with Hamilton scales for anxiety and depression, also we calculated inflammatory markers (systemic immune-inflammation index, SII; monocyte lymphocyte ratio, MLR; platelet lymphocyte ratio, PLR; and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, NLR) using blood venous samples. This study was carried out from August 2021 to December 2022. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v. 26. Results: Our study included 51 healthcare personnel, females (n=29) and males (n=22). The mean age was 40.54 ± 11.00 years. The most frequent acute symptoms for COVID-19 presented were dysgeusia (n=20), anosmia (n=18), and headache (n=17). The most common comorbidities were overweight (n=24), obesity (n=22), and hypertension (n=11). According to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HARS) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression Rating (HRSD) we identify anxiety and depression in 72.5% (n=37) and 51% (n=26) within the health personnel, respectively. Conclusions: In our study, we observed a high frequency of anxiety and depression in healthcare workers with post COVID-19 condition. However, we did not observe an association between inflammatory markers (NLR, PLR, MLR, and SII) with anxiety and depression in health personnel post-COVID-19. We suggest follow-up assessments in healthcare personnel with post-COVID-19 condition, to evaluate if mixed emotional disorders persist. Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Mental disorders; Inflammation; COVID-19.

Prevalence of Moral Injury, Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression in Healthcare Workers 2 Years in to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 has led to marked increases in healthcare worker distress. Studies of these phenomena are often limited to a particular element of distress or a specific subset of healthcare workers. We administered the Moral Injury Symptom Scale for Healthcare Professionals, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 via online survey to 17,000 employees of a large academic medical center between December 2021 and February 2022. A total of 1945 participants completed the survey. Across all roles, the prevalence of moral injury, burnout, depression, and anxiety were 40.9%, 35.3%-60.6%, 25.4%, and 24.8%, respectively. Furthermore, 8.1% had been bothered by thoughts that they would be better off dead or of hurting themselves for "several days" or more frequently. Healthcare workers across all roles and practice settings are experiencing unsustainable levels of distress, with 1 in 12 regularly experiencing thoughts of self-harm.

Economic management and depression in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Czechia

Abstract Background Inequalities in the regional management of healthcare systems can have impact on mental health of healthcare workers. We examined the relationship between regional economic management and depression among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Czechia. Methods We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 3 waves (2020 n = 1,282; 2021 n = 1,510 & 2022 n = 956) from the Czech COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) Study. The cost-to-income ratio for 2019 was used to capture regional healthcare economic management prior to the pandemic. Based on this indicator, regions were grouped into 3 categories (poor, adequate=capital region, good). Depression was defined as ≥ 10 points on the Patient Health Questionnaire. We estimated odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association of regional healthcare economic management with depression using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and occupation in Model 1 and for self-reported COVID-19 exposure and regional COVID-19 incidence rates in Model 2. Results In 2020, there was a statistically non-significant trend towards a graded relationship between the regional healthcare economic management and depression with OR 1.8 (95%CI:0.8-4.2) for poor management and OR of 1.3 (95%CI:0.6-2.5) for adequate management, when compared to regions with good management. No substantial differences were apparent (OR for poor=0.9; 95%CI:0.6-1.3 & OR for adequate=0.9; 95%CI:0.6-1.3) in 2021. In 2022 showing an increased chance for depression with adequate management (OR = 1.4; 95%CI:0.6-3.2) but a lower chance of depression for regions with poor management (OR = 0.7; 95%CI:0.4-1.5). Conclusions We did not find strong evidence for the impact of regional healthcare economic management on depression of healthcare workers. There was an indication that in regions with poorer management, healthcare workers showed an increased chance of depression in the early phase of the pandemic. Key messages • Poorer regional economic healthcare management may play a role for depression of healthcare workers, especially in early phases pandemic or other crisis situations. • We did not find strong evidence for the impact of regional healthcare economic management on depression of healthcare workers.

Factors associated with depression among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs). We aimed to identify the factors associated with depression among HCWs during the pandemic. We conducted literature search using eight electronic databases up to July 27 2022. Observational studies with more than 200 participants investigating correlates of depression in HCWs after COVID-19 outbreak were included. We used fixed- and random-effects models to pool odds ratios (ORs) across studies, and Cochran's chi-squared test and I 2 statistics to assess study heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plots. Thirty-five studies involving 44,362 HCWs met the inclusion criteria. Female (OR=1.50, 95% CI [1.23,1.84]), single (OR=1.36, 95% CI [1.21,1.54]), nurse (OR=1.69, 95% CI [1.28,2.25]), history of mental diseases (OR=2.53, 95% CI [1.78,3.58]), frontline (OR=1.79, 95% CI [1.38,2.32]), health anxiety due to COVID-19 (OR=1.88, 95% CI [1.29,2.76]), working in isolation wards (OR=1.98, 95% CI [1.38,2.84]), and insufficient personal protective equipment (OR=1.49, 95% CI [1.33,1.67]) were associated with increased risk of depression. Instead, HCWs with a positive professional prospect (OR=0.34, 95% CI [0.24,0.49]) were less likely to be depressed. This meta-analysis provides up-to-date evidence on the factors linked to depression among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the persistent threats posed by COVID-19, early screening is crucial for the intervention and prevention of depression in HCWs.

Depression in healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: results from Czech arm of HEROES Study

The pandemic due to COVID-19 brought new risks for depression of health care workers, which may have differently influenced men and women. We aimed to investigate (1) whether health care workers in Czechia experienced an increase in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) which factors contributed the most to this change, and (3) whether the magnitude of the associations differed by gender. We studied 2564 participants of the Czech arm of the international COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) Study. Online questionnaire was administered to health care workers in summer 2020 (wave 0) and spring 2021 (wave 1). Depression was defined by reaching 10 or more points on the Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression investigated the association of participant´s characteristics with depression and multivariable decomposition for non-linear models assessed, to what extent the characteristic explained the change in depression occurrence. The prevalence of depression increased twice during the pandemic (11% in wave 0 and 22% in wave 1). Stress accounted for 50% of the difference, experience of death due to COVID-19 for 15% and contact with COVID-19 patients for 14%. Greater resilience and sufficient personal protective equipment were strongly associated with lower occurrence of depression. The protective association of resilience with depression was stronger in men than in women. We conclude that interventions to promote mental health of health care workers in future health crisis should aim at decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. They should be delivered especially to individuals who have contact with the affected patients and may face their death.

Investigating the impact of financial concerns on symptoms of depression in UK healthcare workers: data from the UK-REACH nationwide cohort study.

Exploration of the association between financial concerns and depression in UK healthcare workers (HCWs) is paramount given the current 'cost of living crisis', ongoing strike action and recruitment/retention problems in the National Health Service. To assess the impact of financial concerns on the risk of depression in HCWs, how these concerns have changed over time and what factors might predict financial concerns. We used longitudinal survey data from a UK-wide cohort of HCWs to determine whether financial concerns at baseline (December 2020 to March 2021) were associated with depression (measured with the Public Health Questionnaire-2) at follow-up (June to October 2022). We used logistic regression to examine the association between financial concerns and depression, and ordinal logistic regression to establish predictors of developing financial concerns. A total of 3521 HCWs were included. Those concerned about their financial situation at baseline had higher odds of developing depressive symptoms at follow-up. Financial concerns increased in 43.8% of HCWs and decreased in 9%. Those in nursing, midwifery and other nursing roles had over twice the odds of developing financial concerns compared with those in medical roles. Financial concerns are increasing in prevalence and predict the later development of depressive symptoms in UK HCWs. Those in nursing, midwifery and other allied nursing roles may have been disproportionately affected. Our results are concerning given the potential effects on sickness absence and staff retention. Policy makers should act to alleviate financial concerns to reduce the impact this may have on a discontent workforce plagued by understaffing.

Depression in healthcare workers in Czechia during COVID-19 pandemic

Depression in healthcare workers in Czechia during COVID-19 pandemic

Educational degree differences in the association between work stress and depression among Chinese healthcare workers: Job satisfaction and sleep quality as the mediators.

Depressive status of medical personnel worldwide and especially in China is an important public health and social problem. There is a strong relationship between education and depression, but no studies have studied grouping healthcare workers (HCWs) with different educational degree to discuss whether there are differences in the factors that affect depression. This study aims to examine the role of job satisfaction and sleep quality in the relationship between work stress and depression among Chinese HCWs, and teste whether the mediation models are differed by the differences of educational degree. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale was used to test depression. Work stress was assessed using the Challenge-blocking stress scale (CBSS). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). HCWs' satisfaction with their current work was assessed using the Job Satisfaction Index (JSI). The representative sample of HCWs was chosen using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling procedure and 844 HCWs were utilized to the statistical analysis of the study. In the overall sample, sleep quality could mediate the relationship between work stress and depression in healthcare workers (p < 0.001, CMIN/DF = 3.816, GFI = 0.911, AGFI = 0.886, IFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.933, CFI = 0.942, RMSEA = 0.058, SRMR = 0.055, AIC = 1039.144), and the mediating effect accounted for 36.5%. After grouping educational qualifications, the model with sleep quality and job satisfaction as mediating variables reported a better fit in the group with low educational qualifications. The intermediary effect accounted for 50.6 and 4.43%, respectively. The highly educated group only has sleep quality as an intermediary variable in the structural model, and the mediating effect accounted for 75.4% (p < 0.001, CMIN/DF = 2.596, GFI = 0.887, AGFI = 0.857, IFI = 0.937, TLI = 0.926, CFI = 0.937, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.056, AIC = 1481.322). In the overall sample, sleep quality could mediate the relationship between work stress and depression in HCWs. Among HCWs with technical secondary school education and below, job satisfaction can mediate the positive relationship between work stress and depression, while this mediating effect is not significant among HCWs with college degree and above.

Untreated major depression in healthcare workers: Results from the nationwide AMADEUS survey.

Recent studies have suggested increased rates of depression in healthcare workers (HCWs), with direct impact on care quality and productivity. The objective was to determine the proportion of HCWs adequately treated for their major depression in a nationwide survey, the proportion of lifestyle risk factors for depression, and to determine if working in psychiatry department or professional status may modulate these outcomes. The method followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement guidelines. A survey comprising the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale was sent to public and private national healthcare facilities. Overall, 10,325 participants were recruited; 3438 (33.3%) [95% confidence interval 32.4-34.2] met likely diagnostic criteria for clinical depression. Almost 80% of them declared that they had a history of major depressive episode. However, only approximately 23% of them were treated with antidepressants and approximately 13% had a psychiatric follow-up. Depressed HCWs working in psychiatry departments received slightly better care for their depression, but they also consumed more anxiolytics and hypnotics and had more risk factors for depression (including smoking and hazardous drinking). We found specificities according to professions, physicians reported higher rates of hazardous drinking while nurses, nurse assistants, and health executives had higher rates of smoking and twice as much obesity as physicians. Disseminating tools to detect major depression, programs destigmatizing depression and antidepressants, promoting physical activity, weight loss, tobacco cessation and reduced alcohol consumption are promising strategies to improve the care of major depression in HCWs. Reducing depression in healthcare workers is necessary to improve the quality of care, to limit burnout, medical errors, absenteeism and turn-over and globally to improve the wellbeing at work.

Prevalence of depression in healthcare workers of a COVID-19 First Line Treatment Centre in North Kerala

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a widespread impact over the health-care system all over the world. This had resulted in varying degrees of psychological issues on healthcare workers. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of depression among healthcare workers of a COVID-19 first line treatment center (CFLTC). Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 healthcare workers who volunteered for the study at COVID first line treatment centre-3 NIT mega boys’ hostel, Kozhikode, Kerala were recruited. They were interviewed, basic demographic data and patient health questionnaire-9 was administered. The data were analyzed with Microsoft Excel. The prevalence among various categories of healthcare workers were compared. Results: The prevalence of depression among healthcare workers was 52%. The prevalence of depression is each category of staff-doctors, staff nurses, cleaning staffs, and patient caretakers-separately. It was found that depression is inversely proportional to the knowledge, experience, medical qualification, and training. Conclusion: The prevalence of undetected depression is high among healthcare workers working in unconventional environment as in warfront situations such as COVID pandemic. The present study emphasizes the importance of proper screening of depression among healthcare workers in such circumstances in years to come.

Level of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic places a high demand on frontline healthcare workers. Healthcare workers are at high-risk of contracting the virus and are subjected to its consequential emotional and psychological effects. This study aimed to measure the level of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study; data were collected from healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia using a survey that included the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7. A total of 326 participants took part in the study by completing and submitting the survey. The vast majority of the participating healthcare workers were Saudi nationals (98.8%) working in a public healthcare facility (89.9%). The results indicated that most of the participants had mild levels of anxiety and depression. A total of 72.5% of the respondents had anxiety, ranging from mild (44.1%) to moderate (16.2%) and severe (12.2%). Moreover, 24.4% of the respondents had depression ranging from mild (21.7%) to moderate (2.1%) and severe (0.6%). The generalized linear models showed that the <30 age group (Beta = 0.556, p=0.037) and the 30-39-year age group (Beta = 0.623, p=0.019) were predicted to have anxiety. The analysis revealed that females were more anxious (Beta = 0.241, p=0.005) than males. Healthcare providers working in primary healthcare centers (Beta = -0.315, p=0.008) and labs (Beta = -0.845. p=0.0001 were predicted to be less anxious than those working in other healthcare facilities. The data analysis showed that participants with good economic status had more depression than the participants in the other economic status groups (Beta = 0.067, p=0.003). This study found that the level of anxiety and depression in healthcare workers was mild. The factors that may contribute to anxiety in healthcare workers included being female, being younger than 30 or between the ages of 31 and 39, working in a specialized hospital facility, and the number of COVID-19 cases the workers dealt with. Economic status was associated with depression. A longitudinal study design is needed to understand the pattern of anxiety levels among healthcare workers over time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Depression in healthcare workers: Results from the nationwide AMADEUS survey

BackgroundThere is now a wealth of evidence showing that work is a major determinant of physical and mental health. Recent studies have suggested increased rates of depression in healthcare workers (HCWs) in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, with direct impact on care quality and productivity. AimTo determine the rate of clinical depression in a national sample of HCWs in France during the post-Covid-19 area and to identify related factors (professional, individual and health-related risk behaviors) using a structural equation modeling analysis. MethodA survey comprising a number of standardized scales was sent to public and private national healthcare facilities through the mail or disseminated through emails from professional associations and social networks. Results10,325 participants were recruited; 3122 (30.2%, 95% confidence interval [29.4–31.1]) met likely diagnostic criteria for clinical depression. Professional factors had the largest total effect (β = 0.57) (burn-out: β = 0.74, sustained bullying at the workplace β = 0.48 and decision-making latitude β = −0.47), followed by individual factors (β = 0.30) (the main individual factor was recurrent major depression, path coefficient = 0.67).Professional factors had both a direct (path coefficient = 0.38) and indirect (through health risk behaviors, path coefficient = 0.19) effect on depression. Individual factors had a direct (path coefficient 0.21) and indirect (through health risk behaviors (path coefficient = 0.09) effect on depression. Health risk behaviors had a direct effect on depression (path coefficient = 0.31). InterpretationThese results provide potential explanations for the likely causes of poor psychological health among HCWs. We propose several potential interventions related to professional factors and health risk behaviors. Our results suggest that improving organizational issues, reducing exposure to potentially morally injurious events, promoting brief naps at work and provision of evidence-based prevention approaches have been reported to be helpful in supporting the mental health of hospital staff (not only relaxation or stress management but training in leadership aspects, increasing the knowledge and practice of giving efficient performance feedback, reducing conflicting demands and peer support programs such as Trauma Risk Management. Our data suggest that developing caregivers reported experience and outcome measures (CREMs/CROMs) would be helpful to monitor work environment and its effect on depression in healthcare workers.

Factors affecting anxiety and depression during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of three different populations

BackgroundThis paper was the first study comparing levels of anxiety and depression and assessing the affecting factors among the general population, frontline healthcare workers, and COVID-19 inpatients in Turkey during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data from the general population (n = 162), frontline healthcare workers (n = 131), and COVID-19 inpatients (n = 86) using Individual Characteristics Form, Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory in this cross-sectional study.ResultsAn increased prevalence of depression and anxiety were found predominantly in frontline healthcare workers (p < 0.001). COVID-19 inpatients and frontline healthcare workers were more likely to demonstrate anxiety (p < 0.001) than the general population. In the regression analysis, while fear of infecting relatives was a significant predictor of anxiety and depression in the general population, gender and experiencing important life events were associated with anxiety. Fear of infecting relatives and lack of personal protective equipment while providing care were predictors of anxiety and depression in healthcare workers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the fear of being re-hospitalised due to re-infection was a predictor of depression and anxiety levels of the COVID-19 inpatients.ConclusionPolicymakers and mental health providers are advised to continuously monitor psychological outcomes and provide necessary health support during this pandemic.

Work environment and mental health in nurse assistants, nurses and health executives: Results from the AMADEUS study.

This study aimed to explore work environment and mental health in nurse assistants, nurses and health executives in a national large-scale study. We have data for physicians but not for other health care workers categories. A total of 6935 participants were recruited between May and June 2021 by professional mailings and professional networks. All professional categories reported high rates of high psychological demand (>90%), low social support (>60%), burnout (50% to 60%), exposure to potentially morally injurious events (>40%) and depression (approximately 30%). Surgery nurses reported the highest exposure to potentially morally injurious events. Major depression was identified in approximately 30% of participants in all categories, but less than 10% reported consuming antidepressants. A total of 31% to 49% of participants reported sleep disorders and 16% to 21% reported consuming regularly hypnotics. Physicians reported high hazardous drinking behaviour and nurse assistant high smoking rates. Our results suggest that preventing burnout and depression in health care workers is a priority. To reach this goal, nursing managers could develop some interventions to reduce psychological demand and increase personal accomplishment and social support between colleagues, and prevent sustained bullying at the workplace and health risk behaviours. These interventions should be further developed and evaluated.

Depression in healthcare workers from the COVID-19 Care and Isolation Center - Villa Panamericana: a single-center prospective study in Peru.

ABSTRACTObjective Depression is a mental problem that affects the well-being of healthcare workers, impacting the quality of care and even leading to commit suicide. We aim to the levels of depression in frontline healthcare workers during the first severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in Peru.Methods A prospective cohort study was designed in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Care and Isolation Center – Villa Panamericana in eastern Lima. Care and Isolation Center-Villa Panamericana houses about 150 healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating scale was used for depression assessment.Results A total of 96 participants (30±5.6 years) were analyzed: 15 (15.6%) physicians, 39 (40.6%) nurses, 14 (14.6%) medical technologists, and 28 (29.2%) nurse technicians. Mild, moderate, and severe depression were present in 35 (36.5%), 44 (45.8%), and 9 (9.4%) of the cases, respectively. The physicians and nurses reported more severe levels of depression: 8 (53.3%) physicians and 18 (46.2%) nurses presented moderate depression; and 2 (13.3%) physicians and 3 (7.7%) nurses presented severe depression (p=0.005). This study determined greater symptoms of depression according to years of work (p=0.001). Thirty-two healthcare workers had COVID-19, 4 (12.5%) physicians, 9 (28.1%) nurses, 7 (21.9%) medical technologists, and 12 (37.5%) nurse technicians. Twenty-four (75%) participants showed symptoms of COVID-19 and developed moderate (12 [37.5%]) and severe (3 [9.4%]) symptoms of depression (p=0.041).Conclusion This study clearly demonstrated a high prevalence of depression in the Care and Isolation Center-Villa Panamericana frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru.

Depression prevention in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundFew studies have assessed depression in healthcare workers (HCWs) in Japan owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and no studies have proposed effective interventions to help support their mental health.AimsTo test the hypothesis that enhancing access to mental healthcare professionals helps to improve HCWs’ mental health.MethodsThis cross-sectional study assessed depressive symptoms in HCWs at three hospitals in Osaka prefecture between May and July, 2020. The survey obtained information on HCWs’ mental state and related situations/perceptions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms.ResultsOf the 3291 eligible HCWs, 1269 (39%) completed the survey. Of all HCWs, 87 (7%) were physicians, and 700 (55%) were nurses. A total of 181 (14%) HCWs had moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression. Being a frontline worker was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio: 0.86 [95% confidence intervals: 0.54–1.37], P = 0.50). The unwillingness to consult with anyone was significantly associated with more severe depressive symptoms (1.70 [1.10–2.63], P < 0.01). HCWs who had no opportunity to confide in family/friends (1.66 [1.10–2.52], P < 0.01) or colleagues/supervisors (3.19 [2.22–4.58], P < 0.001) were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms.ConclusionsBeing a frontline HCW in a Japanese hospital treating patients with COVID-19 was not significantly associated with having depressive symptoms. The study highlights that encouraging daily communication with close persons (family, friends, colleagues and supervisors), rather than improving access to mental health professionals, might help to prevent depression in HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychological Consequences of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated significant symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among health care workers, which can negatively affect the health and well-being of individuals. Although the WHO stressed the importance of nurturing mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a more significant response focused on this area was still lacking in most countries. The aim of the study was to examine the differences in the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in healthcare professionals in relation to exposure to contact with COVID-19 positive patients, as well as to examine the differences and correlation of sociodemographic characteristics of health workers in the experience of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The research included 266 respondents, and it used a socio-demographic questionnaire and the DASS-21 scale. Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used in data processing. The prevalence of high to extremely high symptoms of depression was reported in 45.49% of employees, anxiety 63.91% and stress 23.22%. Those who have been in continuous contact with COVID-19 positive patients, or 27.07%, report experiencing high or extremely high symptoms of depression, 36.60%, high to extremely high symptoms of anxiety, and 22.18% high to extremely high symptoms of stress. The degree of self-care and family care, education level, and work experience were found to be a statistically significant factor in experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Workers who were more in contact with COVID19 patients reported a higher degree of symptom on the DASS-21 scale. Those employees with more work experience had previously encountered similar situations of uncertainty and pressure, had better developed defense mechanisms, and showed less pronounced symptoms. A higher level of education often implies a higher degree of involvement in active treatment around each patient, which results in more responsibility and pressure in a given situation. High levels of stress, anxiety and depression in healthcare workers can lead to repercussions in their work with patients. Therefore, the mental health of health workers should be put in focus, as a very important part of the public health problem during the COVID19 pandemic.

PTSD and Depression in Healthcare Workers in the Italian Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Background:Increasing evidence highlights the susceptibility of Healthcare Workers to develop psychopathological sequelae, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression, in the current COronaVIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, but little data have been reported in the acute phase of the pandemic.Objective:To explore Healthcare Workers’ mental health reactions in the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first European epicenter (Lodi/Codogno, Italy), with particular attention to post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms and their interplay with other psychological outcomes.Methods:74 Healthcare Workers employed at the Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lodi (Lombardy, Italy) were recruited and assessed by means of the Impact of Event Scale- Revised, the Professional Quality of Life Scale-5, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item, the Resilience Scale and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were compared across three subgroups of the sample (No PTSD, PTSD only, PTSD and depression).Results:A total of 31% of subjects endorsed a diagnosis of PTSD and 28.4% reported PTSD comorbid with major depression. Females were more prone to develop post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms. Subjects with PTSD and depression groups showed high levels of PTSD, depression, burnout and impairment in functioning. Anxiety symptoms were higher in both PTSD and depression and PTSD groups rather than in the No PTSD group.Conclusion:Our results showed high rates of PTSD and depression among Healthcare Workers and their comorbidity overall being associated with worse outcomes. Current findings suggest that interventions to prevent and treat psychological implications among Healthcare Workers facing infectious outbreaks are needed.