Introduction: Healthcare workers are vulnerable to adverse mental health impacts of COVID-19. We assessed prevalence of mental disorders and associated factors during the first wave of the pandemic among healthcare professionals in Spain. Methods: All workers in 18 healthcare institutions (6 AACC) in Spain were invited to a series of online surveys assessing a wide range of individual characteristics, COVID-19 infection status and exposure, and mental health status. Here we report: current mental disorders (Major Depressive Disorder-MDD- [PHQ-8 ≥ 10], Generalized Anxiety Disorder-GAD- [GAD-7 ≥ 10], Panic attacks, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder -PTSD- [PCL-5 ≥ 7]; and Substance Use Disorder -SUD-[CAGE-AID≥2]. Severe disability assessed by the Sheehan Disability Scale was used to identify "disabling" current mental disorders. Results: 9,138 healthcare workers participated. Prevalence of screen-positive disorder: 28.1% MDD; 22.5% GAD, 24.0% Panic; 22.2% PTSD; and 6.2% SUD. Overall 45.7% presented any current and 14.5% any disabling current mental disorder. Healthcare workers with prior lifetime mental disorders had almost twice the prevalence of current disorders than those without. Adjusting for all other variables, odds of any disabling mental disorder were: prior lifetime disorders (TUS: OR=5.74; 95%CI 2.53-13.03; Mood: OR=3.23; 95%CI:2.27-4.60; Anxiety: OR=3.03; 95%CI:2.53-3.62); age category 18-29 years (OR=1.36; 95%CI:1.02-1.82), caring "all of the time" for COVID-19 patients (OR=5.19; 95%CI: 3.61-7.46), female gender (OR=1.58; 95%CI: 1.27-1.96) and having being in quarantine or isolated (OR= 1.60; 95CI:1.31-1.95). Conclusions: Current mental disorders were very frequent among Spanish healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19. As the pandemic enters its second wave, careful monitoring and support is needed for healthcare workers, especially those with previous mental disorders and those caring COVID-19 very often.
Aims Longitudinal data on the mental health impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in healthcare workers is limited. We estimated prevalence, incidence and persistence of probable mental disorders in a cohort of Spanish healthcare workers (Covid-19 waves 1 and 2) -and identified associated risk factors. Methods 8996 healthcare workers evaluated on 5 May–7 September 2020 (baseline) were invited to a second web-based survey (October–December 2020). Major depressive disorder (PHQ-8 ≥ 10), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7 ≥ 10), panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-5 ≥ 7), and alcohol use disorder (CAGE-AID ≥ 2) were assessed. Distal (pre-pandemic) and proximal (pandemic) risk factors were included. We estimated the incidence of probable mental disorders (among those without disorders at baseline) and persistence (among those with disorders at baseline). Logistic regression of individual-level [odds ratios (OR)] and population-level (population attributable risk proportions) associations were estimated, adjusting by all distal risk factors, health care centre and time of baseline interview. Results 4809 healthcare workers participated at four months follow-up (cooperation rate = 65.7%; mean = 120 days s.d. = 22 days from baseline assessment). Follow-up prevalence of any disorder was 41.5%, (v. 45.4% at baseline, p < 0.001); incidence, 19.7% (s.e. = 1.6) and persistence, 67.7% (s.e. = 2.3). Proximal factors showing significant bivariate-adjusted associations with incidence included: work-related factors [prioritising Covid-19 patients (OR = 1.62)], stress factors [personal health-related stress (OR = 1.61)], interpersonal stress (OR = 1.53) and financial factors [significant income loss (OR = 1.37)]. Risk factors associated with persistence were largely similar. Conclusions Our study indicates that the prevalence of probable mental disorders among Spanish healthcare workers during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was similarly high to that after the first wave. This was in good part due to the persistence of mental disorders detected at the baseline, but with a relevant incidence of about 1 in 5 of HCWs without mental disorders during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Health-related factors, work-related factors and interpersonal stress are important risks of persistence of mental disorders and of incidence of mental disorders. Adequately addressing these factors might have prevented a considerable amount of mental health impact of the pandemic among this vulnerable population. Addressing health-related stress, work-related factors and interpersonal stress might reduce the prevalence of these disorders substantially. Study registration number: NCT04556565
RESUMENFundamento: La enfermedad de Chagas es una patología emergente en nuestro medio debido principalmente al incremento de las migraciones. La prevalencia y el difícil manejo terapéutico hacen del Chagas un problema de salud pública creciente. Pretendemos analizar la prevalencia y perfil epidemiológico de mujeres gestantes latinoamericanas atendidas en el área de influencia del Hospital Clínico de Valencia (HCUV) y estimar el riego de transmisión vertical.Métodos: Se estudió a 383 mujeres gestantes asistidas en el HCUV entre febrero de 2005 y julio de 2007. Utilizamos para el cribado la técnica de inmunoprecipitación ID-PaGIA-DiaMed, confirmada mediante Inmunofluorescencia Indirecta (IFI) -Inmunoflour Chagas-Inverness Medical. En hijos de mujeres positivas: Microhematocrito, PCR y detección de anticuerpos IgM por IFI, al nacer, e IgG, a los 6 y 12 meses.Resultados: El 9,7% de las mujeres presentaban anticuerpos específicos del parásito. De ellas el 54,1% eran bolivianas, el 13,5% argentinas y 8,1 % colombianas. 81,1% vivieron en zonas rurales y casas de adobe, el 89,2% tenía antecedentes familiares y el 100% conocían la enfermedad y el vector. La seroconversión en un niño de 8 meses supuso una transmisión vertical del 2,7% y una incidencia en mujeres procedentes de zona endémica del 0,3%.Conclusiones: La prevalencia de enfermedad de Chagas en mujeres gestantes latinoamericanas es elevada y supone un riesgo de transmisión vertical importante que obliga a detectar anticuerpos frente al parásito en los exámenes de salud de este colectivo. En el cribado son factores de riesgo los antecedentes familiares de tripanosomiasis y la residencia previa en hábitat rural.
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