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. 2022 May-Jun;32(3):143-151.
doi: 10.1016/j.enfcle.2021.12.003. Epub 2022 May 10.

COVID-19 pandemic on health professionals in a third level hospital in Spain: job changes during the first wave, mental health at 4 months, and follow-up at 9 months

Silvia Esteban-Sepúlveda  1 , Roser Terradas-Robledo  2 , Thaís Castro-Ribeiro  3 , Esther García-Pagès  3 , Pau Sobregrau-Sangrà  4 , Laia Lacueva-Pérez  2
Affiliations

COVID-19 pandemic on health professionals in a third level hospital in Spain: job changes during the first wave, mental health at 4 months, and follow-up at 9 months

Silvia Esteban-Sepúlveda et al. Enferm Clin (Engl Ed). 2022 May-Jun.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objective: To determine the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on health professionals, in terms of work changes and mental health.

Method: 1) Cross-sectional study and 2) longitudinal prospective study on health professionals who worked directly with patients affected by COVID-19 pandemic during the period between March-June 2020 in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Baseline (July-November 2020) and follow-up (November 2020-March 2021) data were collected. Data related to the job and toxic habits were collected with ad hoc questionnaires, and data related to perceived stress, post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety using validated questionnaires.

Results: In the baseline group (cross-sectional study), 90 professionals participated, 76% nurses. More than a third were on sick leave or took drugs to manage stress. Half of smokers increased tobacco use, and one in 5 increased alcohol consumption. Habitual shift change is significantly associated with depression, professional profile with anxiety, and perceived stress with age. In the longitudinal prospective study, the follow-up group (n = 64) shows high levels of stress and anxiety, which are maintained or even significantly increased over time.

Conclusions: The structural changes that occurred in the hospital during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on professionals, many of them presenting an increase in toxic habits, as well as impaired mental health that is maintained over time.

Objetivo: Determinar el impacto que ha tenido la pandemia COVID-19 en profesionales sanitarios, en términos de cambios laborales y de salud mental.

Método: 1) Estudio transversal y 2) estudio longitudinal prospectivo sobre profesionales de la salud que trabajaron de forma directa con pacientes afectados por la pandemia COVID-19 durante el periodo comprendido entre marzo-junio de 2020 en un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona. Se recogieron datos basales (julio-noviembre de 2020) y de seguimiento (noviembre de 2020-marzo de 2021). Se recogieron datos relacionados con el puesto de trabajo y hábitos tóxicos con cuestionarios ad hoc, y de estrés percibido, estrés postraumático, depresión y ansiedad mediante cuestionarios validados.

Resultados: En el grupo basal (estudio transversal) participaron 90 profesionales, 76% enfermeras. Más de un tercio estuvo de baja o tomó fármacos para gestionar el estrés. La mitad de los fumadores aumentó el consumo de tabaco, y uno de cada 5 aumentó el consumo de alcohol. Se asocia de forma significativa el cambio de turno habitual con la depresión, el perfil profesional con la ansiedad, y el estrés percibido con la edad. En el estudio longitudinal, el grupo de seguimiento (n = 64) muestra niveles elevados de estrés y ansiedad, que se mantienen o incluso aumentan en el tiempo de forma significativa.

Conclusiones: Los cambios estructurales acontecidos en el hospital durante la primera ola de la pandemia por la COVID-19 tuvieron un fuerte impacto en los profesionales, presentando muchos de ellos un aumento en los hábitos tóxicos, así como una salud mental alterada que se mantiene en el tiempo.

Keywords: Ansiedad; Anxiety disorder; COVID-19; Health care professionals; Mental health; Post traumatic stress disorder; Profesionales de la salud; Salud mental; Trastornos de estrés traumático.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution by shifts (measure 1, n=90).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participants’ location before, during, and after the first wave of COVID-19 (measure 1, n=90).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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