Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

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

Version 1 : Received: 14 November 2020 / Approved: 16 November 2020 / Online: 16 November 2020 (13:46:33 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Woon, L. .-C.; Sidi, H.; Nik Jaafar, N.R.; Leong Bin Abdullah, M.F.I. Mental Health Status of University Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Post–Movement Lockdown Assessment. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9155. Woon, L. .-C.; Sidi, H.; Nik Jaafar, N.R.; Leong Bin Abdullah, M.F.I. Mental Health Status of University Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Post–Movement Lockdown Assessment. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9155.

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.

Keywords

Depression; anxiety; stress; university healthcare workers; COVID-19; post–movement lockdown

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.