Prevalence and Factors of Anxiety,Depression and Stress Symptoms in Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital during Covid-19 Pandemic

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Iniyan Selvamani, Venkatraman N, Aswin Sasidharan, Maathanghi R, Raman K

Abstract

Background - In the wake of Covid 19 pandemic, the health care system is grappling with unprecedented mental health issues among frontline health care workers.


Aim - To outline the prevalence and the potential factors related to anxiety,depression and stress symptoms in health care workers in a teritiary care hospital during COVID 19 Pandemic


Methods - Cross sectional web based observational study including 226 participants is conducted.


Tools include self-designed online questionnaire,Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21,Insomnia Severity Index,Brief Resilience Coping Scale.


Statistical analysis done using the SPSS version 20. Prevalence was represented by frequency and percentage analysis. Chi-square test and logistic regression is performed to evaluate the association between demographic variables and the study variables. P value< 0.05 is taken as statistically significant.


Results


This study shows a high prevalence of depression,anxiety,stress and insomnia among health care workers during the covid 19 pandemic.Depression is associated with designations including interns,postgraduates and MBBS doctors.Concerns about getting infected with covid 19 at work,regarding taking infection home and spreading to family members,regarding developing severe complications if infected,concerns about stressful working hours and about providing competent medical care were strongly associated with depression.Anxiety was associated with contact with Covid 19 patients in the past week,accidental exposure to covid 19 positive patients in the past week and also associated with concerns regarding developing severe complication if infected and also with concerns regarding inability to give one’s best medical care due to the need to protect self.Insomnia is also found to be associated with most of the concerns related to Covid 19 infection.Moreover,the study also reveals insomnia as a potential predictor for depression and anxiety.


Conclusion - Our study highlights the indispensable need to regularly screen the frontline health care workers for stress,anxiety ,depression and insomnia inorder to diagnose the milder forms of mental health issues even as they emerge.

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