Purpose: To investigate the psychological impact of cases of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) on medical staff of Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital.
Methods: The 287 online questionnaires were distributed to medical staff working at Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, comprising three main sections and 17 questions: basic information, current departmental position, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The threshold for emotional distress was defined to be a total score of 4 on the GHQ-12 and above.
Results: A total of 255 members of medical staff participating in this study presented an emotional distress rate of 17%. Members who were male, aged 50-59, married with children, positioned as doctors, and in administration were the population with the highest rate of emotional distress. Furthermore, the severity of emotional distress among those under 30 was significantly lower than those aged 30-39 and 50-59. Doctors and other occupations shared a lower level of satisfaction on routine activities compared with nurses, so did staff in the administration compared with those who were working in screening or logistic departments. Besides, males and staff of the confirmation department had more difficulty in concentrating than females and those of the screening department, respectively.
Conclusion: Medical staff working at Xiaotangshan Hospital underwent relatively low levels of emotional distress thanks to sufficient medical and psychological preparations. However, special attention should be paid to those who were male, married with children, senior, doctors, in administration, and in the confirmation department.
Keywords: Beijing; COVID-19; GHQ-12; medical staff; psychological impact.
© 2021 Fu et al.