Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among nurses during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern and has caused traumatic experience for nurses worldwide. However, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in nurses, and how psychosocial factors influence nurses in this public crisis are unknown. Objectives To determine the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of nurses and the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among nurses in China during the outbreak. Design A cross-sectional study. Settings and participants A total of 3,228 nurses in Sichuan Province and Wuhan City were selected by convenience sampling. All participants were invited to complete the questionnaire through WeChat from January 27 to February 3, 2020. Methods A self-reported questionnaire combining depression and anxiety scale was used to collect data anonymously. Binary and multivariate logistic regression was applied to measure the odds of psychosocial factors of anxiety and depression and perceived health, respectively. Results The total incidence of depression (34.3%) and anxiety (18.1%) during the COVID-19 outbreak was lower than that during the SARS outbreak; however, the rate of depression in our study (47.1%) was high and similar in a recent study (50.4%) about the health care workers exposed to COVID-19 in China. The results indicated that COVID-19-related stress, relationship quality with family, and demographic characteristics were associated with depression, anxiety, and perceived health status. Furthermore, the prevalence of depression was similar between nurses working in low-risk COVID-19 wards was as high as working in high-risk COVID-19 wards (OR, 1.078; 95% CI, 0.784–1.481). Conclusions Our study revealed the high prevalence of depression and anxiety among nurses during the outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 factors and psychosocial factors were associated with mental health of nurses. The results suggest that hospitals should implement effective mental health promotion programs focused on occupational safety and family support to improve the well-being of nurses.

Nurses’ Workplace Conditions Impacting Their Mental Health during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

“…In addition to resources and supplies, negative ratings of organizational support and workplace relations were associated with nurses’ experiences of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Consistent with emerging COVID-19 evidence [ 32 , 33 , 43 , 44 ], this finding is attributed to the buffering effect of support—from the organization or the healthcare team—on work-related stress [ 45 , 46 , 47 ]. Nurses often rely on their team members and the support they receive from their organization to cope with workplace stressors [ 47 ].…”

Prevalence of stress, depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The overall pooled point estimates of depression reported by the 62 studies [ 19 , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , 34 , 35 , 37 , 39 , 42 , 43 , 45 , 48 , 49 , 51 , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , 62 , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] , [83] , [84] , [85] , [86] , [87] , [88] , 90 , 91 , [94] , [95] , [96] , [99] , [100] , [101] , [102] , [103] , [105] , [106] , [107] , [108] ] varied between 9% and 89% ( Fig. 4 : forest plots).…”

Post-traumatic Stress and Related Factors Among Hospital Nurses during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea

“…During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have experienced significantly higher levels of post-traumatic stress (28.9%), and the post-traumatic stress levels have been higher among healthcare workers who directly care for COVID-19 patients than among healthcare workers who care for COVID-19 patients indirectly [ 10 ]. The prevalence of depression (34.3%) and anxiety (18.1%) among nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak has been high, and COVID-19-related stress and psychological factors have affected the mental health of nurses [ 11 ]. Among the medical staff, nurses have reported more severe psychiatric symptoms and worse sleep quality [ 12 ].…”