Factors Affecting the Psychological Well-Being of Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Crisis

Muffarah H Alharthi,1 Abdulaziz T Alshomrani,2 Khalid Bazaid,3 Hany MA Sonpol,4 Ibrahim AE Ibrahim,5 Ayman M Alashkar4 1Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 4Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ayman M Alashkar, Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, 9054 King Saud Road, Airport District, Bisha, 67614, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 502341013, Email aymanpara@yahoo.comBackground: Health care workers (HCWs) are a group that especially suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to facing the stress of dealing with patients and social isolation, they had to worry about being infected themselves and transmitting the infection to their families. This study evaluated the fear, anxiety, and depression experienced by HCWs during the COVID-19 crisis.Subjects and Methods: The sample size was 541 HCWs. Data collection was done using an online validated questionnaire through Google Docs, sent to HCWs by email and WhatsApp groups. We assessed depression and anxiety with the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), while evaluating fear with the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S).Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the perception of fear between married and unmarried people, and between those with colleagues who had died from COVID-19 infection and those without. There was a significant relation between HCWs’ anxiety and a history of death from COVID-19 infection, either of friends or of close relatives. The prevalence of depression was 18.48% in the tested sample of HCWs. Participants who had close relatives or friends infected with COVID-19 showed a significantly higher degree of depression. The age group < 30 and those working 20 to 30 hours weekly showed higher degrees of anxiety and depression.Conclusion: Sociodemographic variables such as age, marital status, and working area had a significant impact on the mental and psychological health of HCWs during the COVID-19 crisis. HCWs who lost patients due to COVID-19 had a significantly higher prevalence of fear, depression, and anxiety.Keywords: anxiety, COVID-19, depression, fear, health care worker