tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Med Virol
. 2021 Aug 13.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.27272. Online ahead of print.
Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health in a cohort of Italian Rehabilitation health care workers
Giacomo Farì[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alessandro de Sire[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vincenzo Giorgio[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laura Rizzo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Antonella Bruni[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Francesco Paolo Bianchi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alessandra Zonno[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paola Pierucci[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maurizio Ranieri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marisa Megna[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on health care workers (HCWs), affecting their physical and mental health. In Italy, HCWs have been among the first exposed to an unprecedented pressure, dealing with large numbers of infections during the first pandemic wave. However, the severe psychological consequences on HCWs find little evidence in literature, especially in terms of comparison to the status quo ante pandemic. Aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the mental health burden in a cohort of Italian HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic, comparing their condition with that before the emergency, to direct the promotion of mental well-being among HCWs worldwide.
Methods: In this retrospective study, we included physicians, physical therapists, and nurses working in Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Neurology Unit, and Rehabilitation Unit from a Southern Italy University Hospital. All study participants underwent a battery of psychological tests, aimed at verifying their state of mental health during the COVID-19 emergency and before it. Depressive, anxious and burnout symptoms were assessed using the following questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and General Anxiety Disorder-7.
Results: Depressive, anxiety, and burnout clinical relevance symptoms were present in HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic more than before the emergency. The 50% of the HCWs obtained a score clinically significant during the emergency. Moreover, a depersonalization factor showed a statistically significant increase in average scores (p<0.0001). The PHQ-9 scale showed that the 47.1% of the operators reported depressive state presence. The number of operators scoring above cut-off for anxiety scale tripled during the emergency (p<0,0001). The female gender conferred greater risks for depression.
Conclusion: Taken together, findings of this study showed that our sample of Italian HCWs showed a greater risk for depression, anxiety, and stress during COVID-19 pandemic. These data might be a starting point to plan mental health monitoring and prevention programs for HCWs, thus ensuring patients to receive the best possible care performances even during healthcare crises such as the current pandemic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Economic reason; Epidemiology; Social Science; Virus classification.
. 2021 Aug 13.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.27272. Online ahead of print.
Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health in a cohort of Italian Rehabilitation health care workers
Giacomo Farì[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alessandro de Sire[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vincenzo Giorgio[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laura Rizzo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Antonella Bruni[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Francesco Paolo Bianchi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alessandra Zonno[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paola Pierucci[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maurizio Ranieri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marisa Megna[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34387886
- DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27272
Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on health care workers (HCWs), affecting their physical and mental health. In Italy, HCWs have been among the first exposed to an unprecedented pressure, dealing with large numbers of infections during the first pandemic wave. However, the severe psychological consequences on HCWs find little evidence in literature, especially in terms of comparison to the status quo ante pandemic. Aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the mental health burden in a cohort of Italian HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic, comparing their condition with that before the emergency, to direct the promotion of mental well-being among HCWs worldwide.
Methods: In this retrospective study, we included physicians, physical therapists, and nurses working in Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Neurology Unit, and Rehabilitation Unit from a Southern Italy University Hospital. All study participants underwent a battery of psychological tests, aimed at verifying their state of mental health during the COVID-19 emergency and before it. Depressive, anxious and burnout symptoms were assessed using the following questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and General Anxiety Disorder-7.
Results: Depressive, anxiety, and burnout clinical relevance symptoms were present in HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic more than before the emergency. The 50% of the HCWs obtained a score clinically significant during the emergency. Moreover, a depersonalization factor showed a statistically significant increase in average scores (p<0.0001). The PHQ-9 scale showed that the 47.1% of the operators reported depressive state presence. The number of operators scoring above cut-off for anxiety scale tripled during the emergency (p<0,0001). The female gender conferred greater risks for depression.
Conclusion: Taken together, findings of this study showed that our sample of Italian HCWs showed a greater risk for depression, anxiety, and stress during COVID-19 pandemic. These data might be a starting point to plan mental health monitoring and prevention programs for HCWs, thus ensuring patients to receive the best possible care performances even during healthcare crises such as the current pandemic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Economic reason; Epidemiology; Social Science; Virus classification.