Muntean, M.; Colcear, D.; Briciu, V.; Lupse, M.; Crisan, C.; Sidea, M.; Radulescu, A. Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers between 2022 and 2023 in a Romanian COVID-19 Hub Hospital. COVID2024, 4, 1072-1086.
Muntean, M.; Colcear, D.; Briciu, V.; Lupse, M.; Crisan, C.; Sidea, M.; Radulescu, A. Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers between 2022 and 2023 in a Romanian COVID-19 Hub Hospital. COVID 2024, 4, 1072-1086.
Muntean, M.; Colcear, D.; Briciu, V.; Lupse, M.; Crisan, C.; Sidea, M.; Radulescu, A. Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers between 2022 and 2023 in a Romanian COVID-19 Hub Hospital. COVID2024, 4, 1072-1086.
Muntean, M.; Colcear, D.; Briciu, V.; Lupse, M.; Crisan, C.; Sidea, M.; Radulescu, A. Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers between 2022 and 2023 in a Romanian COVID-19 Hub Hospital. COVID 2024, 4, 1072-1086.
Abstract
We assessed depression, anxiety, and stress in healthcare workers (HCWs) in 2023 and the evo-lution of depression in 2023 compared with 2022. In September-November 2023, 181 HCWs from the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress 21 Scale (DASS-21 R), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). The prevalence of moderate-to-severe levels was 13.81% for DASS-Depression, 18.79% for DASS-Anxiety, 16.02% for DASS-Stress, 19.89% for PHQ-9, and 12.16% for HAM-A. Moderate-to-severe PHQ-9 clinical depression was found in 19.89% of respondents, and moderate-to-severe HAM-A clinical anxiety in 12.16%. Moderate-to-severe PHQ-9 depres-sion was significantly lower in the 2023 study group (19.89%, N=181) compared with 2022 (30.60%, N=114) (p=0.036), also within the 2022-2023 follow-up study group (N=88) (p=0.026). We did not find significant statistical differences between those infected vs. non-infected, vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated, working with vs. non-working with SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Males were significantly more stressed (p=0.018) and anxious (p=0.034), and physicians in training had the highest prevalence of moderate-to-severe depression (31.60%), followed by physicians (25.64%). In 2023, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms decreased but remained within a concerning range. By addressing these psychological issues, we can prevent professional crises in the healthcare system.
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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