Effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental health, daily and occupational activities of otolaryngologists and allergists in Colombia: a national study

Pérez-Herrera, Lucía C.; Moreno‐López, Sergio; Peñaranda, Daniel; Pérez-García, I.; García, Elizabeth; Corredor-Rojas, Gloria; Chapman, Edgardo; Peñaranda, Augusto

doi:10.1002/alr.22831

Cited by 9 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Furthermore, higher levels of anxiety were found in participants that expressed fear of a negative outcome such as death or sequelae which is similar to a prior study that included Otolaryngologists and allergists in Colombia (14). Almost 88% reported fear of contagion, and over 92% were afraid of the possibility of infecting their family and/or friends, highlighting the sense of fear as key in developing adverse emotional symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Healthcare professionals and front-line workers are especially vulnerable in times of sanitary crisis and may be at risk for developing adverse psychological outcomes, particularly in Latin American countries (26). As previously mentioned, a study conducted in Colombian otolaryngologists and allergists during the COVID-19 pandemic reported high rates of psychological outcomes (14,27). Our study describes the prevalence of mental health outcomes and associated factors of anxiety, depression, and stress in the general Colombian health care population during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress were assessed using validated Spanish versions of the following measurement tools: GAD-7 (19), PHQ-9 (20), and PSS-10 (21) The GAD-7 scale was used to assess symptoms of anxiety over the past 2 weeks, ranging from 0 to 21 points as follows: normal (0-4), mild (5)(6)(7)(8)(9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), and severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) anxiety (22). The cutoff point for identifying General Anxiety Disorder was a score of 10 in the GAD-7 questionnaire (22).…”

Section: Mental Health Questionnairesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each item is scored from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) according to the level of discomfort of the patient (23). The PHQ-9 ranges between 0 to 27 and can be classi ed as follows: none (0-4), mild (5)(6)(7)(8)(9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderately severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), severe (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). A total score of ≥ 10 in the PHQ-9 has a sensitivity and a speci city of 88% for major depression (23).…”

Section: Mental Health Questionnairesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health, daily and occupational activities among health professionals in Colombia: a cross-sectional study

Peñaranda

García

Pérez-Herrera³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented physical and mental burden on healthcare workers who are frequently at high risk of infection, particularly in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as changes in daily and occupational activities among healthcare professionals due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia.Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2021. The survey incorporated validated mental health tools such as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Perceived Stress Scale-10. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with severe mental health outcomes.Results: Among 1345 healthcare workers the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress were 75.61%, 59.18%, and 53.09%, respectively. Anxiety (OR:1.44; 95%CI:1.16-1.8), depression (OR:1.74; 95%CI:1.27-2.37), and stress (OR:1.51; 95%CI:1.18-1.94) were more frequent in women, and individuals who expressed fear of a negative outcome (death, sequelae) (OR:2.25; 95%CI:1.60-3.25), (OR:1.49; 95%CI:1.03-2.16) and (OR:2.36; 95%CI:1.69-3.29) respectively. Age was negatively associated with anxiety (OR:0.98; 95%CI:0.98-0.99), stress (OR:0.98; 95%CI:0.97-0.99), and depression (OR:0.97; 95% CI:0.96-0.98). Reduction in consultations and surgeries (OR:1.01; 95%CI:1.0-1.01) was positively associated with anxiety. Due to the pandemic, most specialists expected to incorporate drastic long-term (>1 year) changes in their clinical setting and daily activities.Conclusions: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress is higher among Colombian healthcare workers compared to previous reports. Further research regarding these psychological outcomes is needed to achieve early mental health intervention strategies.Trial Registration: Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe, Ethical Committee Registration ID: CCEI-12992-2021.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Mental Health Questionnairesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mental Health Questionnairesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health, daily and occupational activities among health professionals in Colombia: a cross-sectional study

Peñaranda

García

Pérez-Herrera³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has significantly disrupted Latin American health care systems. 1,2 Latin America is one of the regions with the highest rates of cases and mortality from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). 3 Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 included isolation, movement restrictions, and national lockdowns, defined as large-scale physical distancing measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID‐19 national lockdown in the allergic rhinitis symptoms in patients treated with immunotherapy at two allergy referral centers in Bogotá, Colombia

Pérez-Herrera

Ordoñez‐Cerón

Moreno‐López

et al. 2022

Laryngoscope Investig Oto

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Background Coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) “lockdowns” caused an abruptly restricted access to health care services such as immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis (AR) and led to higher exposure to indoor allergens. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID‐19 lockdowns on AR symptoms reported by the patients treated with immunotherapy who attended the Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Otorrinolaringología, Colombia. Methods Pre–post study that included patients with AR confirmed diagnosis (prick test), treated with immunotherapy before and after COVID‐19 lockdowns on March–June 2020. Visual analog scales (VAS) and sociodemographic questionnaires were applied to assess AR symptoms (nasal obstruction, pruritus, rhinorrhea, and ocular symptoms) and their associated factors. Results A total of 318 participants were included, and their mean age was 18.9 years (SD: 12.8). The median number of immunotherapy doses applied before isolation was 11 (interquartile range [IQR]: 6–19), and the median number of immunotherapy doses missed during isolation was three doses (IQR: 2–3). Up to 38.4% of the AR patients reported that their symptoms got worse during lockdowns. A pre–post mean difference in the VAS score of 0.5 was found for nasal obstruction (p = .01), 0.7 for pruritus (p < .001), 0.7 points for rhinorrhea (p < .001), and 0.8 for ocular symptoms (p < .001). Factors associated with worsening of AR symptom scores were pet ownership, atopic dermatitis, lower educational level, and a low number of immunotherapy doses applied before lockdowns. Conclusion A large proportion of patients reported worsening of their AR symptoms, probably due to higher exposure to indoor AR allergens and interruption of immunotherapy during COVID‐19 lockdowns.

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