TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors associated with mental health outcomes across healthcare settings in Oman during COVID-19
T2 - frontline versus non-frontline healthcare workers
AU - Alshekaili, Muna
AU - Hassan, Walid
AU - Al Said, Nazik
AU - Al Sulaimani, Fatima
AU - Jayapal, Sathish Kumar
AU - Al-Mawali, Adhra
AU - Chan, Moon Fai
AU - Mahadevan, Sangeetha
AU - Al-Adawi, Samir
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2020/10/10
Y1 - 2020/10/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess and compare demographic and psychological factors and sleep status of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in relation to non-frontline HCWs.DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS AND OUTCOMES: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 8 April 2020 to 17 April 2020 using an online survey across varied healthcare settings in Oman accruing 1139 HCWs.The primary and secondary outcomes were mental health status and sociodemographic data, respectively. Mental health status was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and insomnia was evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index. Samples were categorised into the frontline and non-frontline groups. χ2 and t-tests were used to compare groups by demographic data. The Mantel-Haenszel OR was used to compare groups by mental health outcomes adjusted by all sociodemographic factors.RESULTS: This study included 1139 HCWs working in Oman. While working during the pandemic period, a total of 368 (32.3%), 388 (34.1%), 271 (23.8%) and 211 (18.5%) respondents were reported to have depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia, respectively. HCWs in the frontline group were 1.5 times more likely to report anxiety (OR=1.557, p=0.004), stress (OR=1.506, p=0.016) and insomnia (OR=1.586, p=0.013) as compared with those in the non-frontline group. No significant differences in depression status were found between the frontline and non-frontline groups (p=0.201).CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different grades of HCWs. This study suggests that frontline HCWs are disproportionally affected compared to non-frontline HCWs, with managing sleep-wake cycles and anxiety symptoms being highly endorsed among frontline HCWs. As psychosocial interventions are likely to be constrained owing to the pandemic, mental healthcare must first be directed to frontline HCWs.
AB - OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess and compare demographic and psychological factors and sleep status of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in relation to non-frontline HCWs.DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS AND OUTCOMES: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 8 April 2020 to 17 April 2020 using an online survey across varied healthcare settings in Oman accruing 1139 HCWs.The primary and secondary outcomes were mental health status and sociodemographic data, respectively. Mental health status was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and insomnia was evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index. Samples were categorised into the frontline and non-frontline groups. χ2 and t-tests were used to compare groups by demographic data. The Mantel-Haenszel OR was used to compare groups by mental health outcomes adjusted by all sociodemographic factors.RESULTS: This study included 1139 HCWs working in Oman. While working during the pandemic period, a total of 368 (32.3%), 388 (34.1%), 271 (23.8%) and 211 (18.5%) respondents were reported to have depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia, respectively. HCWs in the frontline group were 1.5 times more likely to report anxiety (OR=1.557, p=0.004), stress (OR=1.506, p=0.016) and insomnia (OR=1.586, p=0.013) as compared with those in the non-frontline group. No significant differences in depression status were found between the frontline and non-frontline groups (p=0.201).CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different grades of HCWs. This study suggests that frontline HCWs are disproportionally affected compared to non-frontline HCWs, with managing sleep-wake cycles and anxiety symptoms being highly endorsed among frontline HCWs. As psychosocial interventions are likely to be constrained owing to the pandemic, mental healthcare must first be directed to frontline HCWs.
KW - Adult
KW - Anxiety/epidemiology
KW - Anxiety Disorders/etiology
KW - Betacoronavirus
KW - COVID-19
KW - Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Depression/epidemiology
KW - Female
KW - Health Personnel/psychology
KW - Health Status
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Mental Health
KW - Odds Ratio
KW - Oman
KW - Pandemics
KW - Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Sleep
KW - Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology
KW - Stress, Psychological/epidemiology
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85092753688&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042030
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042030
M3 - Article
C2 - 33040019
AN - SCOPUS:85092753688
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 10
SP - e042030
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 10
M1 - e042030
ER -
