ABSTRACT

Background: Studies have shown that working in frontline healthcare roles during epidemics and pandemics was associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify demographic, work-related and other predictors for clinically significant PTSD, depression, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in UK frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs), and to compare rates of distress across different groups of HCSWs working in different roles and settings.

Methods: A convenience sample (n = 1194) of frontline UK HCSWs completed an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic (27 May – 23 July 2020). Participants worked in UK hospitals, nursing or care homes and other community settings. PTSD was assessed using the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ); Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); Anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7).

Results: Nearly 58% of respondents met the threshold for a clinically significant disorder (PTSD = 22%; anxiety = 47%; depression = 47%), and symptom levels were high across occupational groups and settings. Logistic regression analyses found that participants who were concerned about infecting others, who could not talk with their managers if there were not coping, who reported feeling stigmatized and who had not had reliable access to personal protective equipment (PPE) were more likely to meet criteria for a clinically significant mental disorder. Being redeployed during the pandemic, and having had COVID were associated with higher odds for PTSD. Higher household income was associated with reduced odds for a mental disorder.

Conclusions: This study identified predictors of clinically significant distress during COVID-19 and highlights the need for reliable access to PPE and further investigation of barriers to communication between managers and staff.

摘要

背景：研究表明，在流行病和大流行期间担任一线医疗保健角色与创伤后应激障碍、抑郁症、焦虑症和其他心理健康障碍有关。

目的：本研究的目的是确定英国一线卫生和社会护理工作者 (HSCW) 在 COVID-19 大流行期间具有临床意义的 PTSD、抑郁和焦虑的人口统计、工作相关和其他预测因素，并比较在不同角色和环境中工作的不同 HCSW 群体之间的困扰。

方法：在第一波大流行期间（2020 年 5 月 27 日至 7 月 23 日），英国一线 HCSW 的便利样本 ( n = 1194 ) 完成了一项在线调查。参与者在英国医院、疗养院或护理院以及其他社区环境中工作。PTSD 使用国际创伤问卷 (ITQ) 进行评估；使用 Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) 评估抑郁症；使用广泛性焦虑障碍量表 (GAD-7) 评估焦虑。

结果：将近 58% 的受访者达到了临床显着障碍的阈值（PTSD = 22%；焦虑 = 47%；抑郁 = 47%），并且症状水平在各个职业群体和环境中都很高。逻辑回归分析发现，担心感染他人、如果无法应对就无法与他们的经理交谈、报告感到被污名化以及无法可靠地获得个人防护装备 (PPE) 的参与者更有可能符合标准对于有临床意义的精神障碍。在大流行期间被重新部署，并且患有 COVID 与更高的 PTSD 几率有关。较高的家庭收入与降低患精神障碍的几率有关。

结论：这项研究确定了 COVID-19 期间临床上显着痛苦的预测因素，并强调需要可靠地获得 PPE，并进一步调查管理人员和员工之间沟通的障碍。