Perceptions of Risk, Work, and Lifestyle Changes on Mental Health of Healthcare Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Awatef Ergai, LeeAnna Spiva, Lin Li, Ryan Breshears and Ginny Zhan
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Awatef Ergai: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
LeeAnna Spiva: Nursing Practice and Operations, Wellstar Health System, Atlanta, GA 30339, USA
Lin Li: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
Ryan Breshears: Wellstar Psychological Services, Marietta, GA 30060, USA
Ginny Zhan: Department of Psychological Science, Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak is significantly affecting the mental health of healthcare workers worldwide. This study aims to investigate the mental health outcomes of healthcare workers in a health system located in southeastern US during the first peak of the pandemic and examine the association of specific factors on the mental well-being of healthcare workers. A cross-sectional survey of 388 healthcare workers was conducted. Data were collected using a 79-item questionnaire, which included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) instrument, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instrument, and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general distress, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistics. Accordingly, 30.1%, 28.7%, and 39.4% of respondents reported depression, anxiety, and distress symptoms, respectively. Younger workers and females reported higher mental symptomologies. We identified significant, nontraditional factors associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among healthcare workers: healthcare procedure change, concern of exposing family to COVID-19, number of missed shifts, and access to psychological resources/services. These findings emphasize the importance of providing the proper training to reduce concerns of exposing family members and psychological interventions to promote mental health well-being for healthcare workers during the stressful COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental health; anxiety; depression; distress; healthcare workers; psychological resources/services; first COVID-19 peak (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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