Psychological impacts of COVID-19 on Vietnamese health workers over the prolonged restricted COVID-19 responses: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveWe assessed the psychological impact posed by COVID-19 and its associated factors on the healthcare workforce nationwide during the peak of Vietnam’s fourth outbreak.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingOur study was conducted in 61 provinces of Vietnam.MethodsA total of 2814 healthcare professionals in 61/63 provinces of Vietnam. An online questionnaire using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales was distributed randomly to a subgroup of 503 respondents.Primary and secondary outcome measuresTo determine the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological of health workers, we conducted analyses to test a primary hypothesis related to participants based on three main scales including PHQ-9, PSS-4 and GAD-7 scales.ResultsNearly half (49.7%) of healthcare workers experienced mild depression symptoms, 34.0% underwent moderate anxiety symptoms and 49.3% reported high-stress levels. Respondents who had a monthly income below 5 million VND (~US$212) and had more than 3 days of duty per week had a higher score on the anxiety scales. Compared with medical doctors, nurses/midwives had lower PHQ-9 (Coef=−2.53; 95% CI=−3.71 to −1.36) and GAD-7 scores (Coef=−2.36; 95% CI=−3.56 L to −1.16). Increased workload and work time was the harmful factor that increase the PHQ-9, GAD-7 or PSS-4 scores. More than half (53.9%) of respondents stated no demand for mental healthcare services.ConclusionsHealth workers who gained less financial rewards are reported to have higher levels of mental distress than others, implying the need for a raise in basic salary as well as compensation and encouragement schemes. To tackle hesitancy in seeking mental help, integrating online mental health therapy with e-health consultations via social media can be strategically implemented to augment service delivery, and simultaneously enhance the standard of mental health services.

Demand for mental health support services among health professionals in Vietnam: Lesson from COVID-19 Pandemic

“…For example, a recent meta-analysis found that approximately 33% of healthcare workers reported depressive symptoms, 42% exhibited anxiety features; approximately 40% experienced acute stress and 32% exhibited post-traumatic symptoms [ 2 ]. Our results were also lower than a prior online survey which showed that 49.7% of healthcare professionals (49.7%) had mild depressive symptoms [ 11 ]. However, findings in this study aligned with a previous study in two healthcare facilities, which indicated that the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression in the first wave of COVID-19 was 8.0%, 17.5% and 14.8%, respectively [ 16 ].…”

“…The scores for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress are calculated by summing the scores of the corresponding sub-categories and then multiplying the total by a factor of 2. Depression stratification entails five distinct levels: normal (0-9), mild (10)(11)(12)(13), moderate (14-20), severe (21-27), and very severe (28 and above). Anxiety is categorized into five levels, specifically normal (0-7), mild (8-9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and very severe (20 and above).…”

“…Depression stratification entails five distinct levels: normal (0-9), mild (10)(11)(12)(13), moderate (14-20), severe (21-27), and very severe (28 and above). Anxiety is categorized into five levels, specifically normal (0-7), mild (8-9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and very severe (20 and above). Stress can be categorized into five distinct levels, namely normal (ranging from 0 to 14), mild (from 15 to 18), moderate (from 19 to 25), severe (from 26 to 33), and very severe (34 and above).…”

“…0% demonstrated moderate symptoms of anxiety, and 49. 3% reported experiencing high levels of stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 11 ]. However, to date, little evidence about the preferences for mental health support among health professionals in Vietnam.…”

A cross‐sectional study of sleep disturbance among middle‐aged cancer patients at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital

“…The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms. The validity and reliability of this scale have been assessed within the Vietnamese population including cancer patients 3,30 . This study used a cut‐off level of 10, with sensitivity (89%) and specificity (82%) 31 …”