Background: Studies show that healthcare workers from previous pandemics have experienced high levels of stress, anxiety with negative psychological impacts. This paper aims to identify factors affecting mental health outcomes of healthcare workers during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to determine factors affecting mental health outcome of healthcare workers with direct contact to patients with COVID-19. Depression, anxiety and distress were measured by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, and 22-item Impact of Event Scale–Revised, respectively. Binomial multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with mental health outcome. Results: 172 healthcare workers were included. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and distress symptoms among all healthcare workers were 57%, 47.7%, 65.1%, respectively. Age and living with a family with comorbidities are significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Healthcare workers aged 31 years and above are 70% less likely to have depression symptoms (OR 0.278, CI 95%, 0.11-0.72 p=0.008 and OR 0.273, CI 95%, 0.12-0.61, p=0.002). Those living with relatives with comorbidities are 2.7 times more likely to experience depression symptoms (OR 2.731, CI 95%, 1.36-5.5, p=0.005). Healthcare workers age 31-40 years has 80% less likely to experience anxiety symptoms (OR 0.212, CI 95%, 0.09-0.5, p<0.001), and those age 41 and above have 73% less likely to have anxiety symptoms (OR 0.37, CI 95%, 0.14-0.98, p<0.045). Those living with relatives with comorbidities are 2.9 times more likely to have anxiety symptoms (OR 2.889, CI 95%, 1.46-5.73, p=0.002). Level of knowledge on COVID-19 among health care workers significantly differs across severity but has no significant association with prevalence of depression. No factors were associated with distress symptom. Conclusion Cognizant of high rates of depression, anxiety and distress among our younger healthcare workers living with relatives with comorbidities will be a challenge to establish and/or improve existing programs to promote and address mental health needs. Psychological stress can accumulate over time and have an impact later in the outbreak which should be investigated in future studies.
Health Personnel ; COVID-19