Anxiety and Depression Levels and Coping Strategies among Polish Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff were commonly exposed to stress, work under pressure, and long shifts, and may have experienced a fear of infecting loved ones or a fear for their own health. All of these factors may have increased the likelihood that healthcare workers will experience the symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. In this cross-sectional study, a group of respondents was gathered from the employees of 78 hospitals in Poland. A questionnaire was completed electronically by 282 people, aged between 20 and 78 years. The study used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the MiniCOPE questionnaire to examine anxiety and depression symptoms, and coping strategies, respectively. With age, the respondents declared fewer symptoms of anxiety and tended to have milder symptoms of depression. Participants with chronic illnesses, mood disorders, or anxiety disorders also reported higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. More than 20% of healthcare workers felt the need to consult with a psychologist. In the entire group of healthcare professionals surveyed, the most commonly used strategies for coping with stress were “denial”, “psychoactive drug and alcohol use”, and “cessation of activities”, while the least used strategy was “acceptance”. Given the most commonly used strategies in the surveyed group of healthcare professionals, they may be predictors for a deterioration in mental state in the long run. The obtained results also suggest that it is likely that pre-existing health problems had a greater impact on the mental health of medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic than the profession itself. Therefore, taking care of the well-being and mental health of healthcare workers should be a priority for employers.

Possible Pathogenesis and Prevention of Long COVID: SARS-CoV-2-Induced Mitochondrial Disorder

“…Long COVID has long-term heterogeneity and complex symptoms [66]. The most common symptoms include chronic fatigue [67]; respiratory manifestations (e.g., cough and shortness of breath) [67]; arrhythmias, palpitations, hypotension, increased heart rate, venous thromboembolic disease, myocarditis, and acute heart failure [68]; and symptoms of neurological and psychiatric related disorders (e.g., peripheral neuropathy, brain fog, anxiety, and depression) [67,69,70]. Diagnostic clusters have shown that long COVID does not have a single phenotype but, instead, a collection of sub-phenotypes subject to different diagnoses and treatments [71].…”

Coping, Supports and Moral Injury: Spiritual Well-Being and Organizational Support Are Associated with Reduced Moral Injury in Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, HCPs reported turning to friends and family for support, exercising, substance use, spiritual/religious practice, meditation and psychological well-being apps to manage the stresses associated with their occupational roles [17][18][19][20]. For example, among HCPs in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic, Budzy ńka and Moryś [21] reported that HCPs most commonly engaged in denial, substance use and the cessation of usual activities in relation to the demands of their workplace between August 2021 and March 2022. Notably, these behaviors may in turn be associated with long-term mental health deterioration [21].…”

“…For example, among HCPs in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic, Budzy ńka and Moryś [21] reported that HCPs most commonly engaged in denial, substance use and the cessation of usual activities in relation to the demands of their workplace between August 2021 and March 2022. Notably, these behaviors may in turn be associated with long-term mental health deterioration [21]. Alternatively, Haor et al [22] reported that Polish nurses primarily engaged in problem-focused coping (i.e., planning, counselling, seeking support) in response to pandemic stressors between November and December 2021, which may be associated with a reduction in burnout.…”