The Psychological Impact and Influencing Factors during Different Waves of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers in Central Taiwan

Abstract

Background: This study aims to explore differences of psychological impact and influencing factors that affected Taiwanese healthcare workers (HCW) during the first and second wave of COVID-19. Methods: a cross sectional survey of first-line HCW during November 2021 to February 2022: 270 paper questionnaires were issued and the valid response rate was 86% (231). For statistical analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multivariate linear regression were used. Results: regardless of the wave of the pandemic, nearly 70% of HCW had anxiety, nearly 60% felt depressed, half of them suffered from insomnia, and one in three felt insufficient social support, which means a high level of loneliness. With an increased number of infected patients during the second wave, HCW felt significant changes of workload and schedule, with higher concern over risk of infection, and these factors induced higher levels of anxiety, but they manifested better satisfaction over public health policies and information provided by hospitals and governments. Changes of working schedules or duties positively relate to levels of anxiety and insomnia. The risk of infection causes anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Workplace relationships significantly relate to depression and loneliness. A negative family support causes an adverse psychological impact. Conclusions: the pandemic has a negative psychological impact on HCW. Early recognition of significant influencing factors, providing psychological support and therapy, are helpful strategies for reducing the adverse psychological effects.

Longitudinal Study Comparing Mental Health Outcomes in Frontline Emergency Department Healthcare Workers through the Different Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In line with our study’s findings, a cross-sectional study [ 10 ] amongst Taiwanese frontline HCWs showed persistently poor MHOs (anxiety, depression and insomnia) irrespective of the wave of the pandemic. This was partly explained by the changes in workload, work schedules, working overtime and concerns over the risk of infection [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…In line with our study’s findings, a cross-sectional study [ 10 ] amongst Taiwanese frontline HCWs showed persistently poor MHOs (anxiety, depression and insomnia) irrespective of the wave of the pandemic. This was partly explained by the changes in workload, work schedules, working overtime and concerns over the risk of infection [ 10 , 11 ]. Similarly, a Chinese study that was carried out about 3 years after the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak showed persistently high levels of psychological stress, which was thought to be attributed to working in a high-risk environment and having a fear of being a source of infection to a family member(s) [ 12 ].…”

Prevalence and Determinants of Anxiety and Depression Among Healthcare Workers in Liaoning Province, China

“…5 Epidemiologic studies around the world have shown that about 33-50% of healthcare workers have symptoms of anxiety 6,7 and nearly 26-60% of healthcare workers have symptoms of depression. 8,9 The evidence shows that mental disorders have a significant impact on individuals and healthcare organizations. Previous studies suggest that they may cause chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and physical symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, the pre-survey, we determined that the prevalence of anxiety is about 30%, and so we took the p-value of 0.3, α of 0.05, δ of 0.05 and taking into account the 20% nonresponse rate, we calculated the minimum sample size as 387.…”

The impact of pandemic-related stress on attentional bias and anxiety in alexithymia during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020; thereafter, dramatic global spread occurred 1 . Currently, the number of infections and the case fatality rate continue to accumulate 2 , 3 . Compared to other countries, Taiwan was relatively resilient to the threat of COVID-19 due to acute awareness of the news about COVID-19 and rapid implementation of approaches to protect public health by the government 4 , 5 .…”

“…Compared to previous waves, the Omicron variants were more contagious 6 , 7 , with breakthrough infections occurring even in individuals with multiple vaccine combinations 8 . With the greater concern over infection during this wave, it is plausible that psychological impacts such as frustration, irritability, burnout, and insomnia would become widespread in response to the prolonged restrictions of social isolation and quarantine practices 2 . Thus, it is vital to explore the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Taiwanese individuals during this wave.…”