Anxiety and depression in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among hospital healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the extreme south of Brazil.

Method

Cross-sectional study was conducted with 264 healthcare workers, between August and December 2020. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Scale. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed.

Results

The prevalence of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers was 32.4% and 26.2%, respectively. The profession of nursing technician, having a family member who had lost a job, being responsible for family income, being 50 or more years old, being divorced or widowed, having a test for COVID-19, having suffered a traumatic event in life and having received psychological counseling at work were associated with depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

In this study, receiving psychological counseling at work was a protective factor for anxiety and depression.

Keywords:
GAD-7; Health personnel; Mental disorders; PHQ-9; SARS-CoV-2

Variable	n	%
Sociodemographic characteristics
Gender
Female	208	78.8
Male	56	21.2
Age*
20 to 29 years	50	19.7
30 to 39 years	93	36.6
40 to 49 years	85	33.5
50 years or more	26	10.2
Skin Color*
White	194	73.8
Black	24	9.1
Brown	45	17.1
Marital Status*
Married/living with a partner	177	67.3
Single	72	27.4
Divorced/widowed	14	5.3
Responsibility for family income
No	181	68.6
Yes	83	31.4
Occupational characteristics
Profession
Nursing technician	126	47.7
Nurse	67	25.4
Doctor	28	10.6
Radiology technician	24	9.1
Physiotherapist	19	7.2
Years of working in the current position
Less than 5 years	141	53.4
From 5 to 10 years	35	13.3
More than 10 years	88	33.3
Weekly working hours*
Up to 30 hours per week	87	33.1
Up to 40 hours per week	148	56.3
More than 40 hours per week	28	10.6
How many places do you work*
One	180	68.4
Two or more	83	31.6
Variables related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Having a family member who lost their job during the pandemic
No	208	78.8
Yes	56	21.2
Having received psychological counseling at work during the pandemic*
No	165	65.0
Yes	89	35.0
Having been tested for COVID-19*
No	63	24.1
Yes	198	75.9
Having been diagnosed with COVID-19 (n = 194)
No	158	80.2
Yes	39	19.8
Prior risk
Chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, or asthma)
No	200	75.8
Yes	64	24.2
Having suffered a traumatic life event*
No	93	36.1
Yes	165	63.9
Mental Health Assessment
Anxiety*
No	192	73.8
Yes	68	26.2
Depression*
No	177	67.6
Yes	85	32.4

Variable	Depression				Anxiety
	Crude		Adjusted		Crude		Adjusted
	Beta (95% CI)	p-value	Beta (95% CI)	p-value	Beta (95% CI)	p-value	Beta (95% CI)	p-value
Gender		0.12		0.10		0.45		0.28
Female	0		0		0		0
Male	-1.30 (-2.98, -0.37)		-1.39 (-3.06, 0.27)		-0.62 (-2.27, 1.02)		-0.91 (-2.58, 0.76)
Age		0.65		0.09*		0.05		0.04*
From 20 to 29 years	0		0		0		0
From 30 to 39 years	-0.83 (-2.76, 1.10)		-1.31 (-3.25, 0.62)		-1.10 (-3.01, 0.79)		-1.58 (-3.50, 0.34)
From 40 to 49 years	- 1.01 (-2.98 0.96)		-1.61 (-3.63, 0.40)		-1.09 (-3.02, 0.84)		-1.43 (-3.42, 0.55)
50 years or more	-1.57 (-4.22, 1.08)		-2.15 (-4.84, 0.53)		-2.88 (-5.49, -0.27)		-3.18 (-5.83, -0.54)
Skin Color		0,54		0.43		0.40		0.39
White	0		0		0		0
Black	-1,32 (-3,71, 1,07)		-1.47 (-3.97, 0.82)		-1.07 (-3.41, 1.26)		-1.14 (-3.51, 1.21)
Brown	-0.29 (-2.14, 1.55)		-1.47 (-2.00, 1.70)		0.80 (-1.03, 2.63)		0.77 (-1.08, 2.64)
Marital Status		0.15		0.05		0.16		0.02
Married/living with a partner	0		0		0		0
Single	-0.97 (-2.51, 0.56)		-1.59 (-3.31, 0.13)		-0.73 (-2.26, 0.78)		-2.01 (-3.80, -0.22)
Divorced/widowed	-2.54 (-5.58, 0.49)		-3.12 (-6.25, 0.00)		-2.68 (- 5.67, 0.31)		-3.59 (-6.79, -0.38)
Responsibility for family income		0.83		0.16		0.46		0.03
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	0.15 (-1.31, 1.63)		1.18 (-0.47, 2.85)		0.53 (-0.90, 1.97)		1.81 (0.14, 3.48)
Profession		0.01		0.02		0.56		0.48
Nursing Technician	3.61 (1.19, 6.04)		3.78 (1.19, 6.38)		1.35 (-1.06, 3.76)		1.70 (-0.81, 4.21)
Nurse	2.26 (-0.32, 4.84)		2.48 (-0.22, 5.20)		0.81 (-1.76, 3.38)		1.24 (-1.39, 3.88)
Doctor	2.84 (-0.21, 5.88)		3.58 (0.48, 6.69)		0.71 (-2.31, 3.75)		1.19 (-1.95, 4.33)
Radiology technician	0		0		0		0
Physiotherapist	0.56 (-2.78, 3.89)		0.77 (-2.55, 4.10)		-0.61 (-3.93, 2.70)		-0.40 (-3.76, 2.96)
Years of working in the current position		0.97		0.98		0.66		0.90
Up to 5 years	0		0		0		0
From 5 to 10 years	-0.15 (-2.24, 1.94)		-0.11 (-2.29, 2.07)		0.14 (-1.90, 2.19)		0.49 (-1.71, 2.71)
More than 10 years	-0.17 (-1.69, 1.34)		0.12 (-1.72, 1.46)		-0.62 (-2.10, 0.86)		0.07 (-1.75, 1.90)
Weekly working hours		0.32		0.24		0.49		0.33
Up to 30 hours per week	0		0		0		0
Up to 40 hours per week	-0.10 (-1.60, 1.40)		-0.97 (-2.61, 0.66)		0.02 (-1.44, 1.49)		-1.15 (-2.93, 0.61)
40 hours per week or more	1.62 (-0.78, 4.02)		0.85 (-1.80, 3.51)		1.31 (-1.03, 3.67)		0.10 (-2.77, 2.98)
How many places do you work?		0.99		0.70		0.24		0.30
One	0		0		0		0
Two or more	0.003 (-1.47, 1.48)		0.30 (-1.28, 1.89)		0.85 (-0.59, 2.29)		0.75 (-0.70, 2.21)
Having a family member who lost their job during the pandemic		0.002		0.001		0.04		0.13
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	2.63 (0.98, 4.28)		2.94 (1.24, 4.64)		1.67 (0.04, 3.30)		1.29 (- 0.41, 2.99)
Having received psychological counseling at work during the pandemic*		0.01		0.005		0.03		0.01
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	-1.76 (-3.22, -0.31)		-2.00 (-3.40, -0.60)		-1.57 (-2.98, -0.15)		-1.77 (-3.18, -0.37)
Having been tested for COVID-19		0.006		0.002		0.001		0.002
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	2.26 (0.67, 3.85)		2.47 (0.93, 4.00)		2.55 (0.99,4.10)		2.52 (0.97, 4.08)
Having been diagnosed with COVID-19		0.98		0,64		0,72		0.82
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	-0.02 (-2.04, 2.00)		-0.46 (-2.43, 1.50)		0.34 (-1.61, 2.31)		0.22 (-1.78, 2.22)
Chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, or asthma)		0.78		0.205		0.94		0.75
No	-0.22 (1.82, 1.37)		-0.98 (-2.51, 0.54)		-0.05 (-1.61, 1.51)		-0.38 (-1.86, 1.34)
Yes	0		0		0		0
Having suffered a traumatic life event		0.001		0.002		<0.001		<0.001
No	0		0		0		0
Yes	2.40 (1.00, 3.80)		2.25 (0.87, 3.63)		2.48 (1.09, 3.86)		2.54 (1.16, 3.92)

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas Núcleo de Editoração SBI - Campus II, Av. John Boyd Dunlop, s/n. Prédio de Odontologia, 13060-900 Campinas - São Paulo Brasil, Tel./Fax: +55 19 3343-7223 - Campinas - SP - Brazil
E-mail: psychologicalstudies@puc-campinas.edu.br

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[1] Correspondence to:
T. G. PERES. E-mail: <ptyele@gmail.com>.