Stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare workers facing COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt: a cross-sectional online-based study

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed perceived stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.

Setting: This was an online study where a Google form was prepared including sociodemographic and occupational data as well as three validated questionnaires to assess perceived stress, anxiety and depression, respectively. The form was distributed online to all social media groups including healthcare workers all across the country, and responses were collected until the sample size of 262.

Participants: Healthcare workers (physicians, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, technicians and administrators) working in governmental or educational hospitals from all Egyptian governorates who are members of social media groups. The mean age of participants was 33.4±5.9 years, 70% were women, about 70% were married and 66% were physicians.

Outcomes: The frequency of perceived stress, anxiety and depression observed among the study participants according to the results of their questionnaires. Then the frequencies were compared between different sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Only 1.3% showed low perceived stress while 98.5% showed moderate to severe stress. About 9.5% did not experience generalised anxiety, while the remaining 90.5% had different degrees of anxiety as mild anxiety showed the highest per cent affecting about 40% of participants followed by moderate anxiety about 32% then severe anxiety, 18.5%. With regard to depression, 94% of participants showed mild to severe depression.

Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of perceived stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic that affected all workers regardless of different sociodemographic characteristics.

Keywords: anxiety disorders; depression & mood disorders; epidemiology; mental health.