Psychological Symptoms Among Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan
Published in: General Hospital Psychiatry (April 2020). doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.03.011
Posted on RAND.org on May 12, 2020
Frontline healthcare workers from four hospitals in Wuhan (n = 134) were surveyed in February 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak and reported elevated depression (12.7%) and anxiety (20.1%) symptoms. The majority (59%) reported moderate to severe perceived stress. Local healthcare workers had three times higher risk for having at least mild depression than those deployed to Wuhan. Greater perceived stress, poorer sleep quality, and lacking perceived psychological preparedness were associated with a higher risk for elevated depression and anxiety. These results suggest pre-deployment training and the provision of psychological support for healthcare workers may be needed during the outbreak.
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