Mental Health Outcomes Among Tunisian Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ons Hamdi; Meriem Sellami; Saoussen  Miladi; Alia Fazaa; Kmar Ouenniche; Leila Souebni; Selma Kassab; Selma Chekili; Kaouther Ben Abdelghani; Ahmed Laatar

doi:10.18502/acta.v60i11.11651

Ons Hamdi Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Meriem Sellami Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Saoussen Miladi Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Alia Fazaa Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Kmar Ouenniche Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Leila Souebni Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Selma Kassab Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Selma Chekili Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Kaouther Ben Abdelghani Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
Ahmed Laatar Department of Rheumatology, Mongi Slim Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/acta.v60i11.11651

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Coronavirus; Mental health; Healthcare; Psychology

Abstract

The pandemic caused by Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19) is having negative effects on healthcare workers (HCW) mental health due to the tremendous amount of stress to which they are exposed to. We aimed to assess the number of mental health outcomes among HCW treating patients with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from HCW in different hospitals using an online questionnaire. Participants were asked to complete the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). One hundred and forty-one participants with a mean age of 30.6±25 years and a sex ratio of 0.3 completed the online questionnaire. Participants from major university-hospital centers of northern Tunisia were divided into two groups: 78% medical and 22% paramedical staff. Twenty-two participants (15.6%) had a chronic disease, and 21 (14.9%) had a history of depression. Nineteen (13.4%) of the participants were infected with COVID-19. Thirteen percent of participants experienced the same anxiety level as the first-time taking care of COVID-19 patients, while 65% were rather an at ease compared to the first time. Forty-seven percent of participants felt the need for psychological support, and 16.7% of them had consulted a psychiatrist. Mild depression was detected in 14.1% of cases, moderate depression in 4.2% of cases, and severe depression in 2.1% of cases. As for anxiety, 36.1% of participants suffered from mild anxiety, 14.9% from moderate anxiety, and 4.9% from severe anxiety. Mild insomnia was detected in 44.6% of cases, moderate insomnia in 14.9% of cases, and severe insomnia in 9.9% of cases. Female gender (depression: P=0.05; anxiety: P=0.05; insomnia: P=0.02), having friends or relatives with COVID (depression: P=0.01; anxiety: P=0.05), psychiatric illness (depression: P=0.05; anxiety: P=0.01; insomnia: P=0.01), and chronic disease (depression: P=0.02; anxiety: P=0.03) were significantly associated with more severe mental health symptoms. Tunisian HCW experienced psychological burdens and a high rate of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. HCW should be protected in order to promote mental well-being.