An Investigation of Psychological Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic on Medical Health Care Personnel of Some Hospitals in Katsina State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Medical health care personnels experienced unexpected levels of workload and pressure resulting into psychological problems since the  emergence of corona virus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). Corona virus heavily disturbed health care system, throughout the world. Katsina  state health personnels also were faced with such problems. This study was aimed at identifying the psychological effects of COVID-19  pandemic on medical health care personnels of Katsina State. Questionnaires was administered to the target respondents which are the  health care personnels sampled at random from some selected hospitals,different psychological effects of covid-19 were identified  among the respondents. Among the effects identified includes posttraumatic stress, stress, anxiety, perceived stress, passive  coping.Health care personnels also were reported to have suffered from depression, sleepless night, and distress caused by the  pandemic. Results findings Indicates that health care personnels experienced post traumatic stress with 25%, while for anxiety was 17%,  stress with 25%, perceived stress 20% and passive coping with 15% respectively. Percentages provided in tables represents number of  health care personnels who experienced one or more than one of the noticed psychological problem associated with covid-19 pandemic  in all the six hospitals studied namely Katsina general hospital, federal medical center Katsina, Funtua, Daura, Dutsin-ma and Malunfashi  general hospitals. In view of the findings it is recommended that strategies to reduce the chance of infections such as longer shift period  from work place among health care personnels and the introduction of mechanisms for helping psychological problem caused by  Covid-19 pandemic should be encouraged.