Mental Health of Medical and Non-Medical Professionals during the Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study

Abstract

Background: The study aimed to compare psychopathological expressions during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, as declared on March 11th 2020 by the World Health Organization, with respect to which institutional variables might distinguish the impact of COVID-19 in medical and non-medical professionals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed nationwide between 16th March and the 26th April 2020 in Poland. A total of 2039 respondents representing all healthcare providers (59.8%) as well as other professionals filled in the sociodemographic section, the General Health Questionnaire-28 and the author’s questionnaire with questions related to exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the availability of protective measures, quarantine, change of working hours and place of employment during the pandemic, as well as feelings associated with the state of the pandemic. Results: Medical professionals more often presented with relevant psychopathological symptoms (GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire-28) total score >24) than the non-medical group (60.8% vs. 48.0%, respectively) such as anxiety, insomnia and somatic symptoms even after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Male sex, older age and appropriate protective equipment were associated with significantly lower GHQ-28 total scores in medical professionals, whereas among non-medical professionals, male sex was associated with significantly lower GHQ-28 total scores. Conclusions: Somatic and anxiety symptoms as well as insomnia are more prevalent among medical staff than workers in other professions. Targeting the determinants of these differences should be included in interventions aimed at restoring psychological well-being in this specific population. Apparently, there are present gender differences in psychological responses that are independent of profession.

Class of 2020 in Poland: Students’ Mental Health during the COVID-19 Outbreak in an Academic Setting

“…An increased frequency of psychopathological symptoms in general populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic was also reported in many countries [ 25 , 26 ], which shows that young student populations are generally similar to the general population with respect to psychopathological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of student population of different fields during the pandemic, a large study from the USA showed that 48.14% of participants reported increased depressive symptoms, 38.48% reported increased anxiety, and 18.04% had suicidal thoughts [ 27 ].…”

Mental health of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence-based frameworks for mitigation: A rapid review

“…Many studies found that women experience worse mental health outcomes on multiple instruments as compared to men. 6,8,14,17,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45…”

“…The majority of studies found that younger HCWs had worse mental health outcomes than older HCWs, 17,37,38,39,41,42,43,45,66 although one study of nurses and health care technicians in radiology departments in China found that older HCWs had increased anxiety. 21 HCWs with comorbid chronic diseases, 33,34,36,67 history of mental illness, 33,34 and increased alcohol consumption 16 experienced poorer mental health outcomes.…”

Increased Psychological Distress, Loneliness, and Unemployment in the Spread of COVID-19 over 6 Months in Germany

“…It might be a long and unclear road until the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Future studies are needed to investigate stress changes during the course of the pandemic, particularly among vulnerable groups including females and young people [ 17 , 42 , 43 ], people with chronic diseases [ 52 ], and medical professionals [ 53 ]. Integration of long-term and short-term research in response to COVID-19, recovery strategies, and resilience may help us understand what we need to do to better manage future epidemics and pandemics.…”