CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY LEVELS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN A UNİVERSITY HOSPITAL DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to develop recommendations for detecting the anxiety status of healthcare workers working in various places in the universty hospital during the pandemic period, identifying related factors, minimizing or eliminating the impact of these factors.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on a total of 312 healthcare professionals in a university hospital. Data were collected by face-to-face survey method. The questionnaire consisted of questions including sociodemographic characteristics and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS).

Results: The mean age of the participants (n=312) was 30.51±6.16 (20-53). 154 of them are female, 174 of them are married, 148 of them have children, the spouses of 117 people are working. When the CAS score average is considered, the levels of the groups aged 30 and above, female gender, married, working spouse, having children, living with their families and having chronic diseases were found to be high and show a significant difference (p<0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between chronic disease- living with the family and the number of chronic disease-children (respectively; r= -0.118, p=0.038, r= -0.271, p<0.01).

Conclusion: Healthcare workers should be trained to recognize the anxiety they are experiencing, and flexible treatment models should be offered that are easily accessible for increased anxiety situations during this period. Working conditions should be improved, post-shift permits should be applied in the departments on duty. Potential anxiety-reducing strategies such as optimal workload management and risk communication should be considered.