Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Nurses Providing Care to the COVID-19 Patients: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Addressing adequately the mental health during and after COVID-19, as well as preparation for possible future outbreaks, requires an understanding of the nature and extent of mental health impacts, factors related to negative mental health outcomes and symptoms of mental illness. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among nurses providing care to the COVID-19 patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 10th April 2021 to 30th June 2021 among 301 nurses from three COVID-19 dedicated hospitals using self-administered questionnaires. Whole sampling technique was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Board of Nepal Health Research Council (Registration number: 106/2021P). The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16. Descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were calculated. Results: Out of 301 nurses, the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 258 (85.72%), 189 (62.80%) and 151 (49.84%) respectively. Conclusions: The study has shown a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among nurses in comparison to other studies in the similar settings. A quick assessment of the mental health status and mental health requirements of nurses would be helpful in responding to and reducing psychological distress in the crisis situation. The mental health status of nurses should thus be closely monitored by the employing health institutions including managing their workload, providing emotional support and responding to their personal needs.

Perception of Work-Related Stress and Quality of Life among Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic–An International, Multicenter Prospective Study

“…For example, the Brasil study by Michele Mandagará de Oliveira et al (2022) described higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and minor psychiatric disorders [ 2 ]. Bhandari et al (2022), in their study, confirmed a similar result: a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among 301 nurses in Nepal [ 3 ]. The research by Lai et al (2020) demonstrated the existence of high fear, anxiety, and sleep deprivation in a group of healthcare employees [ 4 ].…”

Prevalence and sociodemographic factors of depression, anxiety and stress in Saudi Arabia: a survey of respiratory therapists

“…Among nurses, a related study conducted by Bhandari et al. on 301 nursing staff in Nepal showed that 85.72% of them were depressed, 62.80% experienced anxiety, and 49.84% stress ( 46 ). Moreover, Kaushik et al.…”

Prevalence, Determinants and Care Seeking Behavior for Anxiety and Depression in Nepalese Population: An Analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey Data 2022

“…Most of previous studies on anxiety and depression in Nepal are confined to specific group of participants like health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic 10,11 , nurses 12,13 , traffic police 14 , among patients of type II diabetes 15,16 , people living in quarantine centre during COVID-19 pandemic 45 , patients of MDR TB 17 and hypertensive adults 18 and are confined in specific localities. However, our study involves an analysis from nationally representative sample taking into consideration the current federal structure.…”

“…1,9 Approximately, 99% of mental health studies are funded by high income countries and only 5% of total mental health research finding go in LMICs 1, 9 like Nepal. Although there are some studies anxiety and depression in Nepal, they are mostly confined in specific geographic area and among specific group of people like health care workers [10][11][12][13] , traffic police 14 , among patients with specific disease conditions [15][16][17][18] specific geographic area.…”