Risk factors for anxiety of otolaryngology healthcare workers in Hubei province fighting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

Purpose To ensure the mental health of the otolaryngology healthcare workers in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to know their mental status and to identify possible risk factors. In this study, we investigated the risk factors for the anxiety in the otolaryngology healthcare workers in Hubei province under the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods The otolaryngology healthcare workers in Hubei Province were surveyed using an online questionnaire in which anxiety was measured against the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors of anxiety. Results A total of 449 otolaryngology healthcare workers participated in the study. Of all the participants, 131 (29.18%) had anxiety symptoms. Compared with doctors, nurses were at a higher risk for anxiety (OR = 2.162, 95% CI 1.311-3.566). Participants who often suspected self-infection (OR = 4.239, 95% CI 1.647-10.909) or family member infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (OR = 4.485, 95% CI 1.511-13.313) were more likely to develop anxiety than those who never. The subjects who had colleagues diagnosed with COVID-19 were more vulnerable to anxiety (OR = 2.014, 95% CI 1.205-3.366). Respondents working in infectious isolation wards had a 3.522-fold increased risk of anxiety compared to those on leave (OR = 3.522, 95% CI 1.634-7.593). Conclusion Some otolaryngology healthcare workers in Hubei province experienced anxiety during the epidemic, but most of them did not receive treatment. The healthcare providers themselves should be informed about and aware of their own mental health, and should be given support as appropriate. Trial registration number and date of registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000030768, 2020/3/14.

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

“…Direct contact with COVID-19 patients was associated with poor mental health outcomes, 8,13,31,35,36,43,45,46,47,48 as well as personal fear of infection and perceived threat of contagion. 13,21,22,27,32,37,49,50,51 These adverse outcomes were also seen in HCWs with friends or family with COVID-19 infection 22,32,33,34,49 and in HCWs with colleagues who were hospitalized or died of COVID-19. 39 Further, working in COVID-19 designated hospitals compared to non-designated hospitals 25,49,52 and working in COVID-19 specific isolation wards 13,22,40,45 were associated with poorer mental health outcomes.…”

“…13,21,22,27,32,37,49,50,51 These adverse outcomes were also seen in HCWs with friends or family with COVID-19 infection 22,32,33,34,49 and in HCWs with colleagues who were hospitalized or died of COVID-19. 39 Further, working in COVID-19 designated hospitals compared to non-designated hospitals 25,49,52 and working in COVID-19 specific isolation wards 13,22,40,45 were associated with poorer mental health outcomes. However, smaller single-institution studies in Romania 53 and in Guangzhou, China, 54 where there were fewer COVID-19 cases, did not find differences in mental health outcomes between HCWs working in dedicated versus non-dedicated wards.…”

“…Nurses experienced poor mental health outcomes compared to physicians and other HCWs, 14,21,22,23,24,25,26 with several studies identifying specific subsets of the nursing profession at risk for adverse mental health outcomes. Nurses in COVID-19 wards had higher self-reported rates of stress, exhaustion, and depression and lower job fulfillment than nurses in non-COVID wards, 27 nurses with more work-hours and more night shifts experienced more fatigue, 28 and nurses without intensive care unit (ICU) experience deployed to COVID-19 ICUs experienced more stress.…”

Mental Health in Frontline Medical Workers during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease Epidemic in China: A Comparison with the General Population

“…China is the first country to be severely affected by COVID-19, and the mental health of Chinese frontline medical staff has been greatly affected. A considerable proportion of Chinese healthcare workers have reported symptoms of depression (25.2%-58%), anxiety (29.18%-54.2%), or insomnia (34.0%-36.1%) during the COVID-19 epidemic [11][12][13][14].…”

“…During the epidemic, the public was faced with mandatory quarantines, possible economic losses, and unexpected unemployment, all of which can increase anxiety, depression, and insomnia [10,16]. Previous studies reported that 14.6%-17.2% and 6.3%-28.8% of the Chinese general public displayed symptoms of depression or anxiety, respectively, during the epidemic [18][19][20]; these prevalences are lower than the prevalence of depression and anxiety among Chinese medical staff [11,13,14]. Compared to the general public, medical workers have been challenged by higher levels of exposure to the epidemic situation and by overwork [5,21]; thus, the mental health of medical workers may be more affected by COVID-19 than that of the general public.…”