Mental health of Spanish nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses working in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare centers in Navarre (Spain).

Background: Healthcare workers, especially nurses, are at high risk for developing mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Spain ranks among the European countries with the highest incidence of and mortality from COVID-19 and has a 31% deficit in the number of nurses compared with the average for the European Union.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 800 Registered Nurses in Navarre, Spain. Four standardized instruments, along with a self-administered online questionnaire, were used to measure the impact in terms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was used to report this study.

Results: Of the 800 nurses, 68% had some level of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, and of these, 38% had moderate or severe symptoms. Those who worked in hospital COVID units and in nursing homes showed a higher impact on their mental health.

Discussion: The sustained pressure that nurses have experienced in their work during the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected their mental health.

Conclusion: This study found that nurses who worked in hospital COVID units and in nursing homes during the pandemic had worse mental health outcomes.

Implications for nursing/policy: Recommendations for nursing policy include the need to implement coaching and emotional programs to support nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic. There is also an urgent need for the implementation of national training programs to strengthen health emergency preparedness, improve response capacity, and increase the resilience of nurses to disasters.

Keywords: COVID-19; Spain; anxiety; cross-sectional; depression; healthcare levels; insomnia; mental health; nurses; posttraumatic stress.