The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

During previous pandemic outbreaks, medical staff have reported high levels of psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to report a snapshot of the psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its correlated factors on medical staff in Guangdong, China.

METHODS:

On the 2nd and 3rd February 2020, soon after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed medical staff at four hospitals in Guangdong, China, to collect demographic characteristics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores.

RESULTS:

Complete responses were received from 1045 medical staff. Respondents were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to their working environment of contacting with potential or confirmed COVID-19 cases. The proportion of staff with anxiety (55.4% v. 43.0%, p < 0.001) or depression (43.6% v. 36.8%, p = 0.028) was significantly higher in the high-risk group than the low-risk group. The percentage of staff with severe anxiety was similar in the two groups. Doctors were more susceptible to moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. The high-risk group had higher levels of clinical insomnia (13.5% v. 8.5%, p = 0.011) and were more likely to be in the upper quartile for stress symptoms (24.7% v. 19.3%, p = 0.037) than the low-risk group. Additionally, work experience negatively correlated with insomnia symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is important for hospitals and authorities to protect both the physical and psychological health of medical staff during times of pandemic, even those with a low exposure risk.

• Authors: Huajun Wang, Daozheng Huang, Huigen Huang, Jihui Zhang, Lan Guo, Yuting Liu, Huan Ma, Qingshan Geng
• Journal: Psychological medicine (Psychol Med) Vol. 52 Issue 5 Pg. 884-892 (04 2022) ISSN: 1469-8978 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32624037 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Anxiety (epidemiology, psychology)
• COVID-19
• China (epidemiology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Depression (epidemiology, psychology)
• Humans
• Medical Staff (psychology)
• Pandemics
• SARS-CoV-2
• Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders (epidemiology)
• Stress, Psychological (epidemiology, psychology)