POS1491-HPR MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: O. Hamdi, M. Sellami, S. Miladi, A. Fazaa, L. Souabni, K. Ouenniche, S. Kassab, S. Chekili, K. Ben Abdelghani, A. Laatar
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2021)

Background: The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is having negative effects on societies’ mental health, particularly health care workers who are exposed to tremendous psychological stress. Objectives: To assess the magnitude of mental health outcomes among health care workers treating patients exposed to COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from health workers in different hospitals using an online questionnaire. Participants were also asked to complete the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). The total scores of these measurement tools were interpreted as follows: PHQ-9 normal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), and severe (15-21) depression; ISI normal (0-7), mild (8-14), moderate (15-21), and severe (22-28) insomnia; GAD-7 normal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), and severe (15-21) anxiety. Results: A total of 155 health care workers with a mean age of 31.3 ± 25 years [26-45] and a sex-ratio of 0.3 completed the online questionnaire. All participants were directly engaged in diagnosing, treating, or caring for patients with or suspected to have COVID-19. Participants were divided into two groups: 79% medical (61% doctors in training and 18% hospital doctors) and 21% paramedical staff. Twenty-two participants (14.2%) had a chronic disease and 21(13.5%) had a history of depression. Nineteen (12.2%) of the participants were infected with COVID-19, 4 of whom contracted the infection in the hospital (50% during October 2020). A statement to the department of occupational medicine was made in 70% of cases. Ninety-one percent of the participants were fit for treating patients with COVID-19. The mean number of nightshifts in the COVID unit per month was 5.3. The mean number of hours of work in the COVID unit was 5 hours per day, 36 hours per week, and 62 hours per month. An increase in workload compared to the pre-epidemic was noted in 62.9% of cases. Thirteen percent of participants experienced the same anxiety level as the first time of taking care of COVID patients while 65% were rather at ease compared to the first time. Forty-seven percent of participants felt the need for psychological support and 16.7% of whom had consulted a psychiatrist. Participants were diagnosed with depression (9 cases), anxiety (13 cases), and burn-out (3 cases). The prescribed treatment was: antidepressants (5 cases), anxiolytic (10 cases), and psychotherapy (12 cases). Mild depression was detected in 13% of cases, moderate depression in 4% of cases, and severe depression in 2% of cases. Mild insomnia was detected in 41% of cases, moderate insomnia in 14% of cases, and severe insomnia in 9% of cases. As for anxiety, 33% of participants suffered from mild anxiety, 14% moderate anxiety, and 5% severe anxiety. Conclusion: Participants reported experiencing psychological burden and a high rate of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is important to protect health care workers and to promote mental well-being to survive this pandemic. Disclosure of Interests: None declared