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. 2021 Jan 1:278:390-394.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.079. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Short-term emotional impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Spaniard health workers

Rodriguez-Menéndez Gonzalo  1 , Rubio-García Ana  1 , Conde-Alvarez Patricia  1 , Armesto-Luque Laura  1 , Garrido-Torres Nathalia  1 , Capitan Luis  1 , Luque Asuncion  1 , Ruiz-Veguilla Miguel  2 , Crespo-Facorro Benedicto  3
Affiliations

Short-term emotional impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Spaniard health workers

Rodriguez-Menéndez Gonzalo et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the short-term impact of 2019-nCoV outbreak on the mental/psychological state of Spaniard health care workers (HCWs) and to explore the influencing factors, including organizational factors.

Methods: A web-based survey (Google forms questionnaire) spread via professional and scientific associations, professional WhatsApp and email lists, following a snowball technique was used. Data were collected from May 11th and May 31st, 2020 RESULTS: : A total of 1407 subjects were included in final analyses. 24.7% (348 out of 1407) of HCWs reported symptoms of acute stress (SARS-Q measurement) and 53.6% (754 out of 1407) reported symptoms related to poorer general health (GHQ-28 measurement). A higher risk of having an acute stress disorder was associated to being female, not having access to protective material, and several subjects´ perceived risks. Additionally, poorer overall general health (GHQ>24) was related to being female, working in a geographical area with a high incidence of infection, not being listened to by your co-workers, having a greater perception of stress at work and being able to transmit the infection to others.

Limitations: We must consider a likely memory bias.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of affective and general health symptoms among the HCWs and the critical influence of organizational issues and subjects´ perceived risk should lead health authorities to design future strategies to protect health professional force for facing a potential upcoming epidemiological crisis.

Keywords: Acute stress symptoms; COVID-19; Health care workers; Organizational factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest concerning the subject of the study.

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