Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for intensive care personnel. Romania has a low number of physicians per inhabitant. The stress of pandemics upon an already weak medical health system triggered some psychological effects upon burnt-out personnel. The main objective is to provide an insi...

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Main Authors: Alexandra Elena Lazar, Janos Szederjesi, Oana Coman, Andrea Elekes, Mariana Suciaghi, Bianca Liana Grigorescu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-06-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/7/1160
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author Alexandra Elena Lazar
Janos Szederjesi
Oana Coman
Andrea Elekes
Mariana Suciaghi
Bianca Liana Grigorescu
author_facet Alexandra Elena Lazar
Janos Szederjesi
Oana Coman
Andrea Elekes
Mariana Suciaghi
Bianca Liana Grigorescu
author_sort Alexandra Elena Lazar
collection DOAJ
description The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for intensive care personnel. Romania has a low number of physicians per inhabitant. The stress of pandemics upon an already weak medical health system triggered some psychological effects upon burnt-out personnel. The main objective is to provide an insight into the psychological status of Romanian ICU personnel by evaluating their level of anxiety. The secondary objectives aim to identify the level of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety in different groups and to identify the personnel most affected psychologically. This study enrolled adult responders from the ICU of Târgu Mureș Emergency Clinical County Hospital, Romania, participating voluntarily. The evaluation tests were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Post-Traumatic Stress Test. Out of the 126 eligible participants, 87 adult employees were enrolled—with a 69% response rate. The study comprised three groups: doctors, nurses, and auxiliary personnel. All three groups scored for moderate anxiety symptoms. COVID-19-related anxiety was strongly correlated with age and number of working years in all groups. Increased PTSD scores were observed in doctors and nurses. All ICU personnel who dealt with COVID-19 patients presented with moderate anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The years of ICU experience had a positive impact on anxiety symptoms.
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spelling doaj.art-434a201ee2cb4b099d45876412e1d18f2023-11-30T23:15:15ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322022-06-01107116010.3390/healthcare10071160Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced CountryAlexandra Elena Lazar0Janos Szederjesi1Oana Coman2Andrea Elekes3Mariana Suciaghi4Bianca Liana Grigorescu5Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacology, Science and Technology, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacology, Science and Technology, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaDepartment of Simulation Applied in Medicine, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacology, Science and Technology, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Psychology, Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaDepartment of Pathophysiology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacology, Science and Technology, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Mures County, RomaniaThe COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for intensive care personnel. Romania has a low number of physicians per inhabitant. The stress of pandemics upon an already weak medical health system triggered some psychological effects upon burnt-out personnel. The main objective is to provide an insight into the psychological status of Romanian ICU personnel by evaluating their level of anxiety. The secondary objectives aim to identify the level of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety in different groups and to identify the personnel most affected psychologically. This study enrolled adult responders from the ICU of Târgu Mureș Emergency Clinical County Hospital, Romania, participating voluntarily. The evaluation tests were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Post-Traumatic Stress Test. Out of the 126 eligible participants, 87 adult employees were enrolled—with a 69% response rate. The study comprised three groups: doctors, nurses, and auxiliary personnel. All three groups scored for moderate anxiety symptoms. COVID-19-related anxiety was strongly correlated with age and number of working years in all groups. Increased PTSD scores were observed in doctors and nurses. All ICU personnel who dealt with COVID-19 patients presented with moderate anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The years of ICU experience had a positive impact on anxiety symptoms.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/7/1160intensive careanxietypost-traumatic stress disorderCOVID-19medical personnel
spellingShingle Alexandra Elena Lazar
Janos Szederjesi
Oana Coman
Andrea Elekes
Mariana Suciaghi
Bianca Liana Grigorescu
Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
Healthcare
intensive care
anxiety
post-traumatic stress disorder
COVID-19
medical personnel
title Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
title_full Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
title_fullStr Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
title_full_unstemmed Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
title_short Survey on Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Intensive Care Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Medically Under-Resourced Country
title_sort survey on anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder in intensive care personnel during the covid 19 pandemic in a medically under resourced country
topic intensive care
anxiety
post-traumatic stress disorder
COVID-19
medical personnel
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/7/1160
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