Dataset Information

Psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue among Quebec nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To describe the state of health of Quebec nursing staff during the pandemic according to their exposure to COVID-19, work-related characteristics and sociodemographic factors (gender, generational age group). State of health was captured essentially by assessing psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue.

Design and methods

A large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,708 nurses and licenced practical nurses in Quebec (87% women, mean age of 41 ± 11 years). The survey included several questionnaires and validated health-related scales (psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue). The STROBE guidelines were followed in reporting the study's findings.

Results

Results showed that the prevalence of psychological distress and depression symptoms was moderate to severe. Women, generation Xers and Yers, nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients and those with a colleague who was infected with COVID-19 at work scored higher for fatigue, psychological distress and depression.

SUBMITTER: Cote J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8994967 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue among Quebec nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Côté José J Aita Marilyn M Chouinard Maud-Christine MC Houle Julie J Lavoie-Tremblay Mélanie M Lessard Lily L Rouleau Geneviève G Gélinas Céline C

Nursing open 20220223 3

<h4>Aim</h4>To describe the state of health of Quebec nursing staff during the pandemic according to their exposure to COVID-19, work-related characteristics and sociodemographic factors (gender, generational age group). State of health was captured essentially by assessing psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue.<h4>Design and methods</h4>A large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,708 nurses and licenced practical nurses in Quebec (87% women, mean age of 41 ± 11 ye ...[more]

PMID: 35199497

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Project description:BackgroundHealth care workers (HCWs) presented frequent concerns regarding their health and their families' health and high levels of psychological distress during previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS outbreak, which was associated with social isolation and intentional absenteeism. We aimed to assess HCWs concerns and anxiety, perceived sufficiency of information, and intended behavior during the recent A/H1N1 influenza pandemic and their associations with psychological distress.MethodBetween September 1st and 30th, 2009, 469 health-care workers (HCWs) of a tertiary teaching hospital completed a 20-item questionnaire regarding concerns and worries about the new A/H1N1 influenza pandemic, along with Cassileth's Information Styles Questionnaire (part-I) and the GHQ-28.ResultsMore than half of the present study's HCWs (56.7%) reported they were worried about the A/H1N1 influenza pandemic, their degree of anxiety being moderately high (median 6/9). The most frequent concern was infection of family and friends and the health consequences of the disease (54.9%). The perceived risk of being infected was considered moderately high (median 6/9). Few HCWs (6.6%) had restricted their social contacts and fewer (3.8%) felt isolated by their family members and friends because of their hospital work, while a low percentage (4.3%) indented to take a leave to avoid infection. However, worry and degree of worry were significantly associated with intended absenteeism (p < 0.0005), restriction of social contacts (p < 0.0005), and psychological distress (p = 0.036). Perceived sufficiency of information about several aspects of the A/H1N1 influenza was moderately high, and the overall information about the A/H1N1 influenza was considered clear (median 7.4/9). Also, perceived sufficiency of information for the prognosis of the infection was significantly independently associated with the degree of worry about the pandemic (p = 0.008).ConclusionsA significant proportion of HCWs experienced moderately high anxiety about the pandemic, and their degree of worry was an independent correlate of psychological distress. Since perceived sufficiency of information about the A/H1N1 influenza prognosis was associated with reduced degree of worry, hospital managers and consultation-liaison psychiatry services should try to provide for HCWs' need for information, in order to offer favourable working conditions in times of extreme distress, such as the current and future pandemics.

Dataset Information

Psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue among Quebec nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Aim

Design and methods

Results

Publications

Psychological distress, depression symptoms and fatigue among Quebec nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

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