Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico

Yazmín Hernández-Díaz, Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza, Ana Fresán, Thelma Beatriz González-Castro, Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate, Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop, María Lilia López-Narváez, José Jaime Martínez-Magaña and Humberto Nicolini
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Yazmín Hernández-Díaz: División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco 86205, Mexico
Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico
Ana Fresán: Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Thelma Beatriz González-Castro: División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco 86205, Mexico
Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate: División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco 86650, Mexico
Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop: División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco 86150, Mexico
María Lilia López-Narváez: Hospital General de Yajalón “Dr. José Manuel Velasco Siles”, Secretaría de Salud, Yajalón, Chiapas 29932, Mexico
José Jaime Martínez-Magaña: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas, Neurodegenerativas y Adicciones, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico
Humberto Nicolini: Laboratorio de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas, Neurodegenerativas y Adicciones, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, emotions and perceived stressors by healthcare workers who were in contact with infected patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was applied. Data were collected from N = 263 healthcare workers in Tabasco State, Mexico. We developed and administered a questionnaire, which consisted of sociodemographic characteristics, plus four sections. The sections evaluated were (1) knowledge of COVID-19; (2) feelings/emotions during the COVID-19 outbreak; (3) factors that caused stress and (4) factors that helped to reduce stress. Surveyed individuals were divided into three groups: physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers. When we evaluated their knowledge of COVID-19 we observed that the majority of healthcare workers in the three groups reported that they knew about COVID-19. Physicians indicated that they felt insecure about practicing their profession (62.5%) due to the high risk of being in contact with SARS-CoV-2. With regards to stressor factors, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to their families was the main factor causing moderate to high stress (95.4%). Finally, we found that “your profession puts your life at risk” was the only factor associated with feeling nervous and scared (PR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.54–6.43). We recommended health education campaigns, introductory courses on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, management protocols and the provision of protection equipment to health workers in order to reduce personal and professional fears of contagion and to improve the health system in Mexico when facing epidemics.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; healthcare workers; Mexico; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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