Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and their relationship with the fear of COVID−19 and COVID−19 burden among health care workers after the full liberalization of COVID−19 prevention and control policy in China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overwhelming impact on China’s hospital system and health care workers, which can lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Previous research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had long-term adverse effects on the mental health of health care workers. Indeed, PTSD symptoms have emerged as one of the significant mental health issues for health care workers arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers and its relationship with the fear of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 burden after the full liberalization of COVID-19 prevention and control policy in China. Methods This study was conducted three years after the global COVID-19 pandemic (January 15 to January 16, 2023). This study was conducted via the Wenjuanxing platform and used the Chinese versions of the scales PC-PTSD-5, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (FCV-19S), Social Support Scale, COVID-19 Stress Scale, GAD-2, and PHQ-2. Results The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers was 24.3% (232/955). depression(P < 0.001), anxiety(P < 0.05), the fear of COVID-19(P < 0.001), and COVID-19 burden(P < 0.001) were highly correlated with PTSD symptoms in health care workers. Social support(P < 0.05) was a protective factor of PTSD symptoms. Conclusions This survey shows that PTSD symptoms were highly prevalent among Chinese health care workers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments and leaders of medical institutions should, through psychological interventions, address the current situation of PTSD symptoms among health care workers and develop targeted programs and strategies to reduce their psychological problems.

Trends and factors influencing the mental health of college students in the post-pandemic: four consecutive cross-sectional surveys

“…Compared with students who did not report contact with COVID-19 positive patients, the panic over COVID-19 may have increased the psychological burden on these individuals. Liu et al also found that the greater the fear of COVID-19, the higher the PTSD symptom score ( Liu et al, 2023 ). Interestingly, the current study found that maternal and paternal closeness were protective factors for depression and PTSD, respectively.…”

Prevalence and associated factors of insomnia symptoms after ending China’s dynamic zero-COVID policy: a cross-sectional survey of frontline nursing staff in Chinese hospitals

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline nursing staff have been caring for infected patients, making them more vulnerable to the psychological consequences. Studies have found that health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients were at higher risk of insomnia symptoms ( 39 , 40 ), burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ( 27 ) due to excessive work pressure. Among all healthcare professionals, frontline nursing staff are particularly susceptible to sleep disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 41 ).…”

“…The scale ( 27 ) consists of 5-items to assess PTSD experienced in the past month. Questions include “Have you ever had nightmares related to COVID-19 or have uncontrollable thoughts about COVID-19”?…”

“…Respondents who answered two “yes” were classified as having a COVID-19 burden. The COVID-19 burden scale has been reported to have good psychometric properties in the Chinese population ( 27 ). In the present study, the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82.…”

PTSD prevalence and factors in intern nursing students after COVID-19 full liberalization in China: a cross-sectional study

“…Coronavirus-19 fear increases with a higher score. A cut-off score of 21 and above has been proposed to differentiate the severity of fears associated with COVID-19 (22).…”