Depressive symptoms and stress among nurses in the COVID unit: A 7-month cohort study

Abstract

Aim: Previous studies have reported high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among frontline nurses caring for COVID-19 patients. Yet, only a limited number of prospective studies examining nurses' mental health problems have been performed. The present study aimed to examine depressive symptoms and COVID-19-related stresses among nurses working specifically in a hospital COVID unit over a 7-month period.

Methods: In this study, depressive symptoms and COVID-19-related stresses of a total of 28 nurses who worked in the COVID unit were assessed using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptom (QIDS) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Distress Scale for Pandemic (TMDP) over the 7-month period from December 2020 to June 2021.

Results: The mean QIDS scores in all participants fluctuated during the study period, showing a high correlation with the reported number of new COVID-19 cases in the region. The mean TMDP scores showed a gradual decline over the period. Scores on the social stress factor of the TMDP demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with the QIDS scores.

Conclusions: The results indicate that the number of new COVID-19 patients in the region is associated with depressive symptoms among nurses in the hospital COVID unit. Scores on the social stress factor in the TMDP are also correlated with depressive symptoms among nurses.

Keywords: COVID unit; COVID-19; depression; nurses; stress.