Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems of Medical Health Workers during the COVID-19 Epidemic in China

Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89(4):242-250. doi: 10.1159/000507639. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Abstract

Objective: We explored whether medical health workers had more psychosocial problems than nonmedical health workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: An online survey was run from February 19 to March 6, 2020; a total of 2,182 Chinese subjects participated. Mental health variables were assessed via the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Symptom Check List-revised (SCL-90-R), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), which included a 2-item anxiety scale and a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2).

Results: Compared with nonmedical health workers (n = 1,255), medical health workers (n = 927) had a higher prevalence of insomnia (38.4 vs. 30.5%, p < 0.01), anxiety (13.0 vs. 8.5%, p < 0.01), depression (12.2 vs. 9.5%; p< 0.04), somatization (1.6 vs. 0.4%; p < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (5.3 vs. 2.2%; p < 0.01). They also had higher total scores of ISI, GAD-2, PHQ-2, and SCL-90-R obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p ≤ 0.01). Among medical health workers, having organic disease was an independent factor for insomnia, anxiety, depression, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Living in rural areas, being female, and being at risk of contact with COVID-19 patients were the most common risk factors for insomnia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and depression (p < 0.01 or 0.05). Among nonmedical health workers, having organic disease was a risk factor for insomnia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.01 or 0.05).

Conclusions: During the COVID-19 outbreak, medical health workers had psychosocial problems and risk factors for developing them. They were in need of attention and recovery programs.

Keywords: COVID-19; Corona virus; Health workers; Mental health; Psychosocial problems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anxiety / epidemiology
  • Anxiety / etiology*
  • COVID-19
  • China / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / psychology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / etiology*
  • Female
  • Health Personnel / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Mental Health
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / etiology*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / psychology*
  • Prevalence
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / epidemiology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / etiology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult