Comparison of General Anxiety among Healthcare Professionals before and after COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

Vaccination plays a crucial role in controlling the rate of coronavirus transmission and infectivity. Healthcare professionals are, in fact, at the greatest risk of contracting coronavirus due to their proximity and prolonged exposure to infected patients; this certitude alone enhances the stress and anxiety among patients and professionals alike. In this study, we aimed to assess the levels of anxiety experienced by healthcare professionals in their practices before and after getting vaccinated. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2021. An electronic survey was distributed among the non-vaccinated and vaccinated healthcare workers. The survey consisted of the following parts: demographic characteristics, coronavirus-related questions, questions related to the specific field of healthcare professions, general anxiety questions, and working-hour-related questions. The Modified General Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) was used along with the paired t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearmen’s test for comparison. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 798 healthcare professionals participated in the study. In this study, the majority of participants were females, with 598 (74.9%) being between the ages of 21 and 30, and 646 (80.9%) participants were graduates, with the majority being dentists. Non-vaccinated healthcare professionals had severe anxiety (30.9%), whereas, in vaccinated participants, anxiety levels were minimal (56.9%). A statistically significant correlation was discovered when comparing the scores of the vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals as well as when comparing the professions of vaccinated participants, whereas no association was found with the gender and education level of participants. Vaccination is necessary for all entitled individuals to control the spread of coronavirus. It was discovered that there was an increase in anxiety levels before the vaccination was introduced. The anxiousness was greatly lessened following mass immunizations. Our research will help to raise public awareness of stigmatized mental health disorders in the healthcare industry.

COVID-19 Vaccination Is Not Associated with Psychiatric Adverse Events: A Meta-Analysis

“…They also suggested some potential factors of vaccination that improve the mental health of recipients, for example, a sense of security from severe illness and death due to infection and the expectation of a return to daily life from social isolation, etc. Some studies published after the search period of this research also supported the view that COVID-19 vaccines do not exacerbate psychiatric symptoms [30][31][32].…”

Sensitivity to change of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale among Canadian dentists

“…For every follow-up data collection point starting from November 2020, participants completed the C-19ASS (see Appendix A): a 9-item instrument that assesses the presence of perseverate thinking (6 items) and avoidance (3 items) jointly de ned as COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. To aid interpretation, we categorized the continuous total C-19ASS scores into mild (0-12), moderate (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) and severe (25-36) levels of anxiety. Those who provided questionnaire responses (N = 632) were analyzed in the present study.…”

“…14 Older age, su cient personal protective measures and good relationships with colleagues and patients were factors associated with decreased anxiety among them during the pandemic. 14 Furthermore, vaccination against COVID-19 is an effective tool to control the spread of this infectious disease 15 and studies have shown that the anxiety levels of vaccinated healthcare providers were lower compared to the non-vaccinated healthcare providers. 15 Elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depression could have long-term psychological implications on all healthcare workers, 16 therefore it is of paramount importance to identify the risk and protective factors associated with COVID-19 related and generalized anxiety in dentists for their long-term psychological well-being.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on Portuguese Dental Students: A Cohort Study

“…Literature on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on patients with anxiety and depression is still sparse. Recent studies confirm that vaccinated and unvaccinated healthcare staff have experienced anxiety due to the pandemic, which can be reduced through immunization, resulting in lower stress [ 33 ]. Another study showed that students must have the right mindset to understand that many changes will exist until COVID-19 is under control and the lockdown period is over [ 34 ].…”