Exploring the Associated Factors of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Healthcare Shift Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on healthcare frontliners. This study sought to assess healthcare shift workers’ depression, anxiety, and stress and its associated factors. Methods: The sampling frame includes healthcare shift workers directly managing COVID-19 cases around Klang Valley, Malaysia. The participants’ mental health status was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The associated factors specified in this study include sleep quality, physical activities, and eating habits. Pearson’s χ2 and simple and multivariable binary logistic regression models were constructed following the Hosmer–Lemeshow approach to determine the potential associated factors. Results: A total of 413 participants were recruited. Overall, 40.7% of participants had one or more symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with all mental health outcomes of depression, anxiety, and stress. Inactivity was found to be strongly associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. At the same time, eating habits were strongly associated with anxiety and stress. Conclusions: Sleep quality, inactivity, and eating habits that were found to be associated with the mental health status of healthcare shift workers are modifiable factors that must be addressed to curb mental health issues among this group of workers.

Influence of Previous Mental State on Psychological Outcomes of Spanish Out-of-Hospital Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The findings of this study show that one in three HCWs reported having psychopathological levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, which is higher than that observed in other care settings [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. This high prevalence should be considered a warning sign of possible negative psychosocial consequences from the acute phase of the pandemic, such as burnout or post-traumatic stress [ 15 , 43 ].…”

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Health Care Workers at a Tertiary Hospital in Vietnam COVID-19 Epicenter: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…An earlier study in Malaysian HCWs also found that inactivity was strongly associated with increased odds of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 period. 5 Particular attention is warranted regarding the programs promoting sports/exercises for HCWs in order to enhance their coping abilities for similar crises in the future. Another protective factor of depression and stress was the support with food/essential items by family.…”

Prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China: A cross-sectional study

“…Several studies have been performed during the COVID-19 pandemic to show some potential influencing factors. For example, healthcare workers aged below 40 have been found to have a higher level of depressive and anxiety symptoms than those aged above 40 ( 6 , 15 ). Women have been found to be more vulnerable to the symptoms of depression ( 15 – 17 ) and anxiety ( 16 , 18 ) during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Women have been found to be more vulnerable to the symptoms of depression ( 15 – 17 ) and anxiety ( 16 , 18 ) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses had a greater likelihood of developing depression than others, but any job type of healthcare worker developed anxiety at equal odds ( 6 ). And studies also revealed that healthcare workers with bachelor's degrees had significantly higher depression and anxiety than those with different education levels ( 19 , 20 ).…”

“…First, many studies showed the importance of sleep quality in mental health ( 33 , 34 ). Long-standing evidence suggests that insomnia is associated with depression and anxiety ( 6 , 35 ), and how this factor changes in the post-pandemic era is meaningful to find out. Second, psychological resilience, as a common mediating factor, could help individuals sustain emotional balance in the face of stress-inducing events ( 36 ).…”