Psychological Distress, Anxiety, Depression, and Associated Factors Among Nigerian Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

• DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604835
• Publication Date: 2022-11-17T15:31:17Z
• Authors: Olanrewaju Ibikun...; Adesanmi Akinsulore; Tolu Opakunle; Champion Seun-Fadipe; Olakunle Ayokunmi...; Victor Ogbonnaya ...; Ibidunni Oloniniyi; Olushola Olibamoyo; Olutayo Olubunmi ...; Boladale Mapayi; Abiodun Adewuya
• Keywords: Health (social science); Economics; Macroeconomics; Social Sciences; Health Professions; Logistic regression; Infectious disease (medical specialty); Anxiety; FOS: Health sciences; Psychological Distress; 0302 clinical medicine; psychological distress; Pathology; Psychology; Disease; Internal medicine; Psychiatry; Public health; Depression; Depression (economics); Health Care Workers; Odds ratio; Impact of Stigma on Mental Health Care; anxiety; Medical Student Distress; 3. Good health; FOS: Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Impact of Burnout on Healthcare Professionals and Students; Mental Health; depression; General Health Professions; Medicine; Mental health; Odds; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Social Psychology; Health Personnel; Clinical psychology; Nigeria; Psychological distress; Nursing; nurses; 03 medical and health sciences; Health Sciences; Humans; Pandemics; Cross-sectional study; doctors; Pandemic; Public Health Archive; Distress; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; COVID-19; COVID 19 pandemic; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Cross-Sectional Studies; Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

Objectives: We determined the prevalence of psychological distress, and the associations between sociodemographic factors, anxiety, depression, COVID-19-related experiences, and psychological distress, among nurses and doctors in Nigeria.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted over a month (1st of July–31st of July 2021) among 434 Health Care Workers (HCWs) [225 (51.8%) nurses and 209 (48.2%) doctors] from two tertiary health facilities in southwestern Nigeria. Binary logistic regression was carried out to determine the factors associated with psychological distress (dependent variable), while the independent variables were anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 experience-related factors.Results: The prevalence of moderate and severe psychological distress was 49.1% and 5.8%, respectively. Individuals who had the first degree had significantly lower odds (AOR: 0.43; p = 0.037) of experiencing psychological distress while being a nurse (AOR: 2.03; p = 0.014), higher levels of anxiety (1.28; p < 0.001), and depression (AOR: 1.17; p = 0.005) were associated with significantly higher odds of experiencing moderate to severe levels of psychological distress.Conclusion: There is a high level of psychological distress experienced by these health workers. Hence, they will benefit from strategies to reduce their distress.