State-trait anxiety, death anxiety, depression levels of intensive care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors

Abstract

Aim: During the COVID-19 pandemic, intensive care workers’ workload and stress response with high transmission risk increased. As a result of poor coping skills with increasing stress, psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression may occur. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the anxiety, depression, and death anxiety parameters and related demographic data of intensive care workers struggling in the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The data were collected by applying scales including socio-demographic information, state-trait anxiety scale (STAI), Beck depression scale, and death anxiety scale to intensive care workers of the pandemic hospital in Erzurum province with an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 70 participants answered the scale questions with the online questionnaire. Participants’ state and trait anxiety scores were above 42, and the frequency of intensive care workers with high anxiety levels was 78.5% and 45.7%, respectively. 54.2% of the participants had moderate and above death anxiety, and 57.1% had a Beck depression inventory score above 10. State-trait anxiety and death anxiety were significantly higher in females than males. Conclusions: In conclusion, the findings of our study revealed that intensive care workers working in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of severe-fatal diseases showed symptoms of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic period, being young and female were risk factors for state-trait anxiety, death anxiety, and depression. Keywords: COVID-19, intensive care workers, anxiety, depression