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A Cross-Sectional Study to Examine the Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers in Kuwait

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah AlKandari

    (Immunology and Microbiology Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman 15462, Kuwait)

  • Ahmad Salman

    (Ministry of Health, Safat 13001, Kuwait)

  • Fatima Al-Ghadban

    (College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
    Department of Public Health Practice, Faculty of Public Health, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait)

  • Rasheed Ahmad

    (Immunology and Microbiology Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman 15462, Kuwait)

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers to determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and well-being, and to identify the factors associated with adverse psychological effects. This study was conducted 5 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. We used an online questionnaire to collect data from 378 healthcare workers. To examine the psychological impact, three standardized questionnaires were utilized. This includes the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the WHO Well-Being Scale (WHO-5) to measure depression, anxiety, and quality of life, respectively. More than half of the participants (52.9%) exhibited moderate or high levels of depression, and 40.5% reported moderate or high levels of anxiety. Unmarried HCWs reported more severe levels of depression; moderately severe depression (24.0% vs. 16.1%) and severe depression (12.4% vs. 6.8%). Unmarried HCWs also reported more severity of anxiety as well as lower overall wellbeing. Understanding how personal factors such as marital status can influence the degree of psychological distress can allow us to make better investments in supporting the mental health needs of HCWs in Kuwait. Governments and organizations must establish protective measures, such as continually assessing the mental health status of HCWs throughout the pandemic and providing support services for HCWs in need to minimize adverse consequences and ensure optimal health system operation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah AlKandari & Ahmad Salman & Fatima Al-Ghadban & Rasheed Ahmad, 2022. "A Cross-Sectional Study to Examine the Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers in Kuwait," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:17:p:10464-:d:894987
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zahra Alsairafi & Abdallah Y. Naser & Fatemah M. Alsaleh & Abdelmoneim Awad & Zahraa Jalal, 2021. "Mental Health Status of Healthcare Professionals and Students of Health Sciences Faculties in Kuwait during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Kavita Batra & Tejinder Pal Singh & Manoj Sharma & Ravi Batra & Nena Schvaneveldt, 2020. "Investigating the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: A Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-33, December.
    3. Clara E. Jace & Christos A. Makridis, 2021. "Does marriage protect mental health? Evidence from the COVID‐19 pandemic," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2499-2515, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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