High Work-Related Stress and Anxiety as a Response to COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers in South Korea: Cross-sectional Online Survey Study

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak had a severe impact on health care workers' psychological health. It is important to establish a process for psychological assessment and intervention for health care workers during epidemics. Objective: We investigated risk factors associated with psychological impacts for each health care worker group, to help optimize psychological interventions for health care workers in countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Respondents (n=1787) from 2 hospitals in Korea completed a web-based survey during the period from April 14 to 30, 2020. The web based survey collected demographic information, psychiatric history, and responses to the 9-item Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE-9), 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales. We performed logistic regression to assess contributing factors as predictor variables, using health care workers' depression as outcome variables. Results: Among 1783 health care workers, nursing professionals had significantly higher levels of depression (PHQ-9 score: meannurse 5.5, SD 4.6; meanother 3.8, SD 4.2; P<.001), general anxiety (GAD-7 score: meannurse 4.0, SD 4.1; meanother 2.7, SD 3.6; P<.001), and virus-related anxiety symptoms (SAVE-9 score: meannurse 21.6, SD 5.9; meanother 18.6, SD 6.3; P<.001). Among nursing professionals, single workers reported more severe depressive symptoms than married workers (PHQ-9 score >= 10; meannurse 20.3%; meanother 14.1%; P=.02), and junior (<40 years) workers reported more anxiety about the viral epidemic (SAVE-9 anxiety score; meannurse 15.6, SD 4.1; meanother 14.7, SD 4.4; P=.002). Logistic regression revealed that hospital (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.45, 95% CI 1.06-1.99), nursing professionals (adjusted OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02-1.98), single workers (adjusted OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.05-2.16), higher stress and anxiety to the viral infection (high SAVE-9 score, adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.17-1.24), and past psychiatric history (adjusted OR 3.26, 95% CI 2.15-4.96) were positively associated with depression. Conclusions: Psychological support and interventions should be considered for health care workers, especially nursing professionals, those who are single, and those with high SAVE-9 scores.

Automated summary

The study found that nursing professionals had higher levels of depression, general anxiety, and virus-related anxiety symptoms compared to other healthcare workers. Single nursing professionals reported more severe depressive symptoms than married workers, and younger workers showed more anxiety about the viral epidemic. The logistic regression indicated that hospital, nursing profession, single status, higher stress and anxiety levels related to the viral infection, and past psychiatric history were positively associated with depression among healthcare workers.