Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China

Mao Peng¹, Li Wang¹, Qing Xue¹, Lu Yin², Bo-Heng Zhu³, Kun Wang^{1

4}, Fang-Fang Shangguan⁵, Pei-Ran Zhang⁶, Yan-Yan Niu⁷, Wen-Rui Zhang¹, Wen-Feng Zhao¹, Huang Wang¹, Jing Lv¹, Hai-Qing Song¹, Bao-Quan Min¹, Hai-Xia Leng¹, Yu Jia¹, Hong Chang¹, Zhi-Peng Yu¹, Qing Tian⁸, Yuan Yang⁹, Zhou Zhu⁹, Wei Li¹⁰, Xiao-Ling Gao¹¹, Xiao-Lei Liu¹², Mei Yang¹³, Ping Wang¹⁴, Peng-Hu Wei¹⁵, Chun-Xue Wang¹⁶, Jin-Na Li¹⁷, Long-Bin Jia¹⁷, Xiao-Min Huang¹⁸, Dong-Ning Li¹⁸, Dong-Juan Xu¹⁹, Yun-Long Deng²⁰, Tian-Mei Si²¹, Hui-Qing Dong¹, Yu-Ping Wang¹, Fiammetta Cosci²², Hong-Xing Wang^{23

24

25

26

27}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Medical Research and Biometrics Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Beijing Puren Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁵ School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Department of Public Economics, School of Economics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁷ Department of Orthopedics, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China.
⁸ Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
¹⁰ Department of Neurology, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China.
¹¹ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
¹² Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Ningxia Fifth People's Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Shizuishan, China.
¹⁴ Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
¹⁵ Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
¹⁶ Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology and Clinical Psychology Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
¹⁷ Department of Neurology, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China.
¹⁸ Department of Neurology, Ningcheng Center Hospital, Ningcheng, China.
¹⁹ Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, China.
²⁰ Psychosomatic Health Institute, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
²¹ Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders and Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
²² Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
²³ Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁴ Department of Neurology, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁵ Department of Neurology, Ningcheng Center Hospital, Ningcheng, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁶ Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁷ Beijing Psychosomatic Disease Consultation Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 33152729
PMCID: PMC7705943
DOI: 10.1159/000511823

Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China

Mao Peng et al. Psychother Psychosom. 2021.

. 2021;90(2):127-136.

doi: 10.1159/000511823. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Medical Research and Biometrics Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Beijing Puren Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁵ School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Department of Public Economics, School of Economics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁷ Department of Orthopedics, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China.
⁸ Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
¹⁰ Department of Neurology, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China.
¹¹ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
¹² Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Ningxia Fifth People's Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Shizuishan, China.
¹⁴ Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
¹⁵ Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
¹⁶ Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology and Clinical Psychology Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
¹⁷ Department of Neurology, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China.
¹⁸ Department of Neurology, Ningcheng Center Hospital, Ningcheng, China.
¹⁹ Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, China.
²⁰ Psychosomatic Health Institute, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
²¹ Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Health Disorders and Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
²² Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
²³ Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁴ Department of Neurology, Jincheng People's Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Jincheng, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁵ Department of Neurology, Ningcheng Center Hospital, Ningcheng, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁶ Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.
²⁷ Beijing Psychosomatic Disease Consultation Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, wanghongxing@xwh.ccmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 33152729
PMCID: PMC7705943
DOI: 10.1159/000511823

Abstract

Background: As the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic continues, medical workers may have allostatic load.

Objective: During the reopening of society, medical and nonmedical workers were compared in terms of allostatic load.

Methods: An online study was performed; 3,590 Chinese subjects were analyzed. Socio-demographic variables, allostatic load, stress, abnormal illness behavior, global well-being, mental status, and social support were assessed.

Results: There was no difference in allostatic load in medical workers compared to nonmedical workers (15.8 vs. 17.8%; p = 0.22). Multivariate conditional logistic regression revealed that anxiety (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.31; p < 0.01), depression (OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.17-1.29; p < 0.01), somatization (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.14-1.25; p < 0.01), hostility (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.30; p < 0.01), and abnormal illness behavior (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.34-1.66; p < 0.01) were positively associated with allostatic load, while objective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.78-0.89; p < 0.01), subjective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.80-0.88; p < 0.01), utilization of support (OR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.72-0.88; p < 0.01), social support (OR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.93; p < 0.01), and global well-being (OR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.22-0.41; p < 0.01) were negatively associated.

Conclusions: In the post-COVID-19 epidemic time, medical and nonmedical workers had similar allostatic load. Psychological distress and abnormal illness behavior were risk factors for it, while social support could relieve it.

Keywords: Allostatic load; Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Medical worker; Stress; Well-being.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have had no financial relationship with any organization that might have an interest in the submitted study in the last 3 years.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Allostatic load and its components in medical and nonmedical workers in PSM samples (n = 1,138). a Total stress and components. b Components of work stress. c Components of daily stress.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. The Verge World Health Organization declares global public health emergency over coronavirus outbreak [Internet] [cited 2020 Jan 30]. Available from: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/30/21115357/coronavirusoutbreak-global-p....
1. World Health Organization WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard [Internet] [cited 2020, Jul 23]. Available from: https://covid19.who.int/
1. Zhang WR, Wang K, Yin L, Zhao WF, Xue Q, Peng M, et al. Mental health and psychosocial problems of medical health workers during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89((4)):242–50. - PMC - PubMed
1. Cao J, Wei J, Zhu H, Duan Y, Geng W, Hong X, et al. A study of basic needs and psychological wellbeing of medical workers in the fever clinic of a tertiary general hospital in Beijing during the COVID-19 outbreak. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89((4)):252–4. - PMC - PubMed
1. Theorell T. COVID-19 and working conditions in health care. Psychother Psychosom. 2020;89((4)):193–4. - PMC - PubMed

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Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China

Affiliations

Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Research Materials