Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Mental Health among Health Care Workers and Others

Abstract

Background: A pandemic of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)may endanger the mental well-being of health care workers.
Objective: This is to stipulate some mental issues faced by health care workers at the time of COV-SARS.
Patients and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted upon 5745 participants from the Qalyubiya Governorate (7 centers). Online self-administered questionnaire (Fear of Coronavirus-19 Scale (7 Qs scale) and The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (14 items of two subscales: anxiety and depression)) was utilized. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize bias between health care workers (1740) and non-healthcare workers.
Results: After performing propensity score matching, 1740 participants were included for comparison between health care workers and non-healthcare workers. Health care workers expressed more fear, anxiety, and depression scores. Increasing hours of watching media is a predictor of fear, anxiety, and depression among health care workers ((95%CI: 0.555-1.4, p<.001), (0.77-1.22, p<.001) and (0.45-0.85, p<.001) respectively) and ((1.44-2.2, p<.001), (0.94-1.49, p<.001) respectively) among non-healthcare workers.
Conclusions: HCW showed mental disorders scores more than non-healthcare workers. Among health care workers, females, the age group from 26 to 30 years, and more than 4h of watching media about COVID-19 had significantly higher mental scores. Non-married health care workers showed a higher fear score. Among non-healthcare workers, married and low educated levels expressed lower scores.