Mental Health Status of Health Care Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Central Punjab
Rizwan Sadiq, Muhammad Faizan, Fazal Wadood, Moeen Akhtar Malik, Junaid Mustafa, Umer Waheed
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ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Frontline medical
workers are at risk of not just adverse physical outcomes from Corona Virus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) but psychological ones too. Healthcare workers might
develop symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and
substance use disorders.
Objective:
To assess the mental health status of health care professionals
during COVID-19 Pandemic at a tertiary care hospital of Central Punjab.
Methodology:
Study design: Cross-Sectional study. Study setting: Sheikh
Zayed Medical College/Hospital, R.Y.Khan. Study Duration: 20th May
2020 to 20th August 2020. Study subjects: Healthcare
professionals including medical and paramedical staff. Sample size: A total of 215 Subjects were
included in the study. Sampling technique: Convenient sampling technique. Inclusion
criteria: Male and female health care professionals of SZMC/H, R.Y.Khan present
in a single working shift. Exclusion criteria: Subjects who refused to give
informed verbal consent and those absent from the shift of data collection.
Data collection method: Data was collected on pre-designed questionnaire. The
questionnaire included information regarding age, sex, job title, working
station, etc. Data analysis: Data was entered in and analyzed by using SPSS
Version. 21. Numerical variables like age was presented as mean ± standard
deviation. Categorical variables like sex, job title, working station were
shown as percentages.
Results:
Our study shows that sex
ratio was Male (41.4%) and Female (58.6%). We compared the subjects on
variables of Sex, Job title and Ward/Department. The prevalence of depression
among Males was Normal 69.7%, Borderline 18.0% and Abnormal 12.4% while in
Females it was Normal 56.3%, Borderline 20.6% and Abnormal 23.0%. The
prevalence of anxiety among Males was Normal 67.4%, Borderline 18.0% and
Abnormal 14.6% while in Females it was Normal 38.1%, Borderline 28.6% and
Abnormal 33.3%. Our study on the basis of Job title showed that Medical Staff
has prevalence of depression of Normal 67.8%, Borderline 18.3% and Abnormal
13.9% while in Paramedical Staff it was Normal 31.4%, Borderline 25.7% and
Abnormal 42.9%. The prevalence of anxiety among Medical Staff was Normal 55.6%,
Borderline 22.8% and Abnormal 21.7% while in Paramedical Staff it was Normal
22.9%, Borderline 31.4% and Abnormal 45.7%. On the basis of Wards/Department,
the prevalence of Depression in Medicine and Allied was Normal 62.7%,
Borderline 23.9% and Abnormal 13.4%; in Surgery and Allied was Normal 67.2%,
Borderline 22.4% and Abnormal 10.3%; in Paeds and Gynae/Obs. was Normal 63.5%,
Borderline 11.5% and Abnormal 25.0%; in Flu Filter Clinic/Isolation Ward/ICU
was Normal 50.0%, Borderline 18.4% and Abnormal 31.6%. The prevalence of
Anxiety in Medicine and Allied was Normal 52.2%, Borderline 20.9% and Abnormal
26.9%; in Surgery and Allied was Normal 55.2%, Borderline 24.1% and Abnormal
20.7%; in Paeds and Gynae/Obs. was Normal 46.2%, Borderline 26.9% and Abnormal
26.9%; in Flu Filter Clinic/Isolation Ward/ICU was Normal 44.7%, Borderline
26.3% and Abnormal 28.9%.
Conclusion: COVID-19 Pandemic has some major effects on the mental
health status of health care professionals in terms of depression and anxiety
that need to be addressed by providing better health care facilities, by
arranging awareness seminars and counseling sessions.
Keywords: Health Care Professionals, COVID-19, Anxiety, Depression