ABSTRACT

Healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not immune to stressors. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among HCWs during the COVID-19 epidemic and investigate the associations among negative coping, fatigue and PTSS. A total of 507 HCWs from Anhui province enrolled in the study and completed the cross-sectional survey including demographic data, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14), and PTSD Checklist-civilian Version (PCL-C). Univariate linear regression, Pearson correlation and Mackinnon’s four-step procedure were performed in the statistical analysis. Results indicated that the prevalence of PTSS among HCWs during the pandemic was 24%. Univariate linear regression showed HCWs aged 31–40 years exhibited significantly higher scores of PTSS than those aged 51–60 (β = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.59 to 9.41). Having at least one child was associated with a higher risk of developing PTSS (β = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.36 to 5.45). Negative coping and fatigue were positively correlated with all three PTSS (all P < 0.001), including re-experiencing, avoidance and hyper-arousal. Fatigue has mediated the association between negative coping and PTSS among HCWs during the pandemic (ab = 0.09, SE = 0.03, bootstrap 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.14). A considerable proportion of HCWs was traumatized during the COVID-19 outbreak. Hence, the institutions should screen out and pay close attention to HCWs who tend to use negative coping (e.g., withdrawal thinking, distraction and blaming others) and arrange work scientifically to avoid overfatigue and PTSS amid the public health crisis.

摘要

暴露于 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的医护人员 (HCW) 无法免受压力源的影响。本研究旨在探讨 COVID-19 流行期间医护人员中创伤后应激症状 (PTSS) 的流行情况，并调查消极应对、疲劳和 PTSS 之间的关联。安徽省共有 507 名医护人员参加了本研究，并完成了包括人口统计数据、简化应对方式问卷 (SCSQ)、14 项疲劳量表 (FS-14) 和 PTSD 清单-民用版 (PCL) 的横断面调查-C）。在统计分析中进行单变量线性回归、皮尔逊相关和麦金农四步法。结果表明，大流行期间医护人员中 PTSS 的患病率为 24%。β  = 0.20，95% CI：0.59 至 9.41)。至少有一个孩子与发生 PTSS 的风险较高相关（β  = 0.01, 95% CI：0.36 至 5.45）。消极应对和疲劳与所有三个 PTSS 呈正相关（均P < 0.001），包括重新体验、回避和过度唤醒。在大流行期间，疲劳在医护人员中调节了消极应对与 PTSS 之间的关联（ab = 0.09，SE = 0.03，bootstrap 95% CI: 0.04 至 0.14)。在 COVID-19 爆发期间，相当一部分医护人员受到了创伤。因此，机构应筛选并密切关注倾向于消极应对（如退缩思维、分心、责备他人）的医护人员，科学安排工作，避免在公共卫生危机中出现过度疲劳和PTSS。