The psychological impact of COVID-19 on front-line healthcare providers in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Journal of education and health promotion 2024-09, Vol.13 (1), p.335-335
• Main Authors: AlJaberi, Mohannad, Elshatarat, Rami A., Sawalha, Murad A., Al Hmaimat, Nathira, AlBlooshi, Halima, Alshehhi, Mahra, Ibrahim, Ateya M., Zaghamir, Donia E., Saleh, Zyad T., Saifan, Ahmad Rajeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety Disorders; COVID-19; covid-19 pandemic; depression; Depression (Psychology); Generalized anxiety disorder; generalized anxiety disorder (gad); healthcare providers; Mental depression; Pandemics; Patient education; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd); psychological well-being; Variance analysis; Well being
• ISSN: 2277-9531; 2319-6440
• DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1734_23

BACKGROUND:The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the psychological well-being of healthcare providers (HCPs) worldwide. Understanding the prevalence and associated factors of depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among these providers is crucial. Assess the prevalence of major depression, GAD, and PTSD symptoms among HCPs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study sought to identify demographic, work-related, and health-related factors associated with these psychological symptoms.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional survey involving 992 HCPs across various healthcare institutions in the UAE was conducted. Participants were administered standardized assessment tools, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the GAD-7) for GAD, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) for PTSD. Independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to assess the prevalence and associated factors.RESULTS:The findings revealed that approximately 19% of the participants exhibited significant symptoms of major depression (PHQ-9 ≥10), while 57.1% reported no significant anxiety symptoms, and 54.4% displayed minimal or no significant PTSD symptoms. Participants with COVID-19, family infections, and work overload showed higher depression, GAD, and PTSD symptoms. Married in-hospital workers significantly differed from single prehospital workers in psychological symptoms. Occupation, level of education, working department, and age significantly influenced the perceived severity of depression, GAD, and PTSD symptoms. Specifically, the ANOVA test revealed significant differences in depression (F = 3.01, P < 0.05), GAD (F = 11.4, P < 0.001), and PTSD symptoms (F = 3.6, P < 0.05) based on occupation. Nurses had higher depression (5.8 ± 7.4) and GAD (7.4 ± 6.6) scores, while physicians had elevated PTSD symptoms (22.4 ± 21.0). Participants with a bachelor’s degree had significantly higher depression (7.0 ± 8.4), GAD (7.2 ± 7.4), and PTSD symptoms (22.9 ± 24.6) than those with diplomas or postgraduate degrees. In the intensive care unit (ICU), higher levels of depression (9.3 ± 9.1), GAD (7.6 ± 7.5), and PTSD symptoms (24.7 ± 25.4) were reported. Participants at the screening center had higher depression (5.4 ± 4.7) and PTSD symptoms (15.2 ± 16.8) than those in other prehospital departments. However, participants in PHCs reporte