Mental Health Status of University Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Post-Movement Lockdown Assessment

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress and determined the association between various factors, social support, and depression and anxiety among university healthcare workers in Malaysia after the government lifted the movement control order (MCO) put in place to curb the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This online, cross-sectional survey recruited 399 participants from two university hospitals, and they were administered a self-reported questionnaire on demographic, personal, and clinical characteristics; COVID-19-related stressors; and coping. In addition, they completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to measure perceived social support, as well as the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess depression, anxiety, and stress. We found that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were 21.8%, 31.6%, and 29.1%, respectively. Participants with moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress made up 13.3%, 25.8%, and 8.1% of the sample, respectively. Being single or divorced, fear of frequent exposure to COVID-19 patients, those who agreed that their area of living had a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases, and uncertainty regarding the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in the area of living were associated with higher odds of depression and anxiety. Conversely, having more than three children and greater perceived friend support were associated with lower odds of depression and anxiety. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress remained elevated even after the MCO was lifted.

Mental Health Adverse Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers in North West Ethiopia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

“…The prevalence of stress in this study was in line with the studies conducted in China 56.59%. 6 On the other hand, our estimation was higher than the studies conducted in Spanish 41.1%, 23 India 3.7%, 25 Singapore 6.6%, 13 Turkey 41.2% 30 and Malaysia 29.1%, 28 while the magnitude of stress was lower than studies conducted in China 71.5%, 8 18.0%, 9 Turkey 76.4%, 29 and Alberta Canada 85.6%. 27 This could be the sample size difference, the health system service difference.…”

“…In our study, the magnitude of depression was consistent with the study conducted in Libya 56.3%. 5 On the other hand, the prevalence of depression on health-care workers was higher than the studies conducted in China 44.37%, 6 12.2%, 7 50.4%, 8 15.4%, 9 40%, 22 Spanish 46%, 23 systematic review studies 22.8%, 12 21.7%, 24 India 11.4%, 25 Singapore 8.9%, 13 Nepal 8%, 26 Alberta Canada 44.0%, 27 Malaysia 21.8%, 28 whereas the prevalence of depression in this study was lower than studies done in Turkey 77.6%, 29 64.7%. 30 The reason for this discrepancy might be, the simple size difference, the time of research done.…”

“… 29 Conversely, the prevalence of anxiety was higher than the studies conducted in China 46.04%, 6 44.6%, 8 13%, 7 32.6%, 9 38%, 22 Spanish 58.6%, 23 systematic review studies 23.2%, 12 22.1%, 24 India 17.7%, 25 Singapore 14.5%, 13 Nepal 38%, 26 Libya 46.7%, 5 Alberta Canada 47.0%, 27 Turkey 51.6%, 30 and Malaysia 31.6%. 28 The difference could be the sample size difference, the time of the research done, the level of health service development, and the difference in experiences to similar pandemics.…”

The Cross-Sectional Relations of COVID-19 Fear and Stress to Psychological Distress among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Selangor, Malaysia

“…The prevalence of risk of depression was found to be 67.1% in anesthetists from a Malaysian COVID-19 referral hospital [ 31 ]. In other studies, the prevalence rates ranged from 11.1% to 31.6% for anxiety and from 9.9% to 21.8% for depression [ 32 , 33 ]. Only large-scale data involving local, non-frontline university populations are currently available [ 13 , 14 ].…”

Social Support and Optimism as Protective Factors for Mental Health among 7765 Healthcare Workers in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of the VOICE Study

“…Physicians described both senior and junior colleagues as an important source of social support [ 31 ]. Several studies demonstrated social support to be a protective factor for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic for HCWs in Asia [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. As cultures differ between continents and countries [ 35 , 36 ], the perception, manifestation, or protective role of social support might also.…”