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. 2022 Apr;52(5):884-892.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291720002561. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study

Huajun Wang  1 , Daozheng Huang  2 , Huigen Huang  3 , Jihui Zhang  4 , Lan Guo  5 , Yuting Liu  5 , Huan Ma  5 , Qingshan Geng  5
Affiliations

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study

Huajun Wang et al. Psychol Med. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Background: During previous pandemic outbreaks, medical staff have reported high levels of psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to report a snapshot of the psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its correlated factors on medical staff in Guangdong, China.

Methods: On the 2nd and 3rd February 2020, soon after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed medical staff at four hospitals in Guangdong, China, to collect demographic characteristics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores.

Results: Complete responses were received from 1045 medical staff. Respondents were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to their working environment of contacting with potential or confirmed COVID-19 cases. The proportion of staff with anxiety (55.4% v. 43.0%, p < 0.001) or depression (43.6% v. 36.8%, p = 0.028) was significantly higher in the high-risk group than the low-risk group. The percentage of staff with severe anxiety was similar in the two groups. Doctors were more susceptible to moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. The high-risk group had higher levels of clinical insomnia (13.5% v. 8.5%, p = 0.011) and were more likely to be in the upper quartile for stress symptoms (24.7% v. 19.3%, p = 0.037) than the low-risk group. Additionally, work experience negatively correlated with insomnia symptoms.

Conclusions: It is important for hospitals and authorities to protect both the physical and psychological health of medical staff during times of pandemic, even those with a low exposure risk.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; coronavirus disease 2019; medical staff; psychological status.

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