A Comparative Study on the Psychological Health of Frontline Health Workers in Wuhan Under and After the Lockdown

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Xiuli Qiu, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Yan Lan, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Jinfeng Miao, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Hui Wang, Emory University; Jianhong Wu, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Guo Li, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Xin Zhao, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Ziqin Cao, Emory University; Junhua Mei, Wuhan First Hosp; Wenzhe Sun, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Zhou Zhu, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Suiqiang Zhu, Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Wei Wang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-21
• Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 Qiu, Lan, Miao, Wang, Wang, Wu, Li, Zhao, Cao, Mei, Sun, Zhu, Zhu and Wang.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.701032
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
• Volume: 12
• Start Page: 701032
• End Page: 701032
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant Numbers: 2020YFC0841300 and 2017YFC1310000), Special grant of Prevention and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic of Wuhan Municipal Health Commission (Grant Number: EX20M30), and National Natural Science Fund of China (Grant Number: 82001218). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Keywords: stress; front-line healthcare workers; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; CHINA; EXPERIENCE; CARE; Psychiatry; depressive symptoms; IMPACT; MENTAL-HEALTH; EXPOSURE; Science & Technology; anxiety symptoms; COVID-19
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and a 3-month lockdown of Wuhan may have had a long-term impact on the mental health of frontline healthcare workers (HWs). However, there is still a lack of comparative studies on the mental health of front-line HWs in the initial phase of the lockdown and 1 month after the lifting of the lockdown. Methods: We recruited 1717 HWs during the initial phase of the lockdown and 2214 HWs 1 month after the lifting of the lockdown, and their baseline characteristics and psychiatric health in these two phases were compared. Furthermore, Pearson's Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the possible risk factors associated with depressive symptoms in the front-line HWs. Results: Compared with the initial phase of the lockdown, the proportion of HWs with anxiety symptoms and stress decreased, while the proportion of HWs with depressive symptoms increased a month after the lifting of the lockdown. Male sex, exercise habit, comorbidities, and having family members or relatives with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection were significantly related to the increased incidence of depressive symptoms during the initial phase of the lockdown. Comorbidities, negative effect of media coverage, working >4 days a week, lower annual household income, and deteriorating relationships with family members were associated with depressive symptoms a month after the lifting of the lockdown. Conclusion: The increased proportion of HWs with depressive symptoms 1 month after the lifting of the lockdown suggested that mental health of front-line HWs should be a top-priority issue, not only during, but also after the pandemic.