Post COVID-19 mental health symptoms and quality of life among COVID-19 frontline clinicians: a comparative study using propensity score matching approach

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yan-Jie Zhao, University of Macau; Xiaomeng Xing, Capital Medical University; Tengfei Tian, Capital Medical University; Qian Wang, Capital Medical University; Sixiang Liang, Capital Medical University; Zhe Wang, Capital Medical University; Teris Cheung, Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Zhaohui Su, UT Hlth San Antonio; Yilang Tang, Emory University; Chee H Ng, University of Melbourne; Sha Sha, Capital Medical University; Yu-Tao Xiang, University of Macau
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-09-09
• Publisher: SPRINGERNATURE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2022
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02089-4
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 376
• End Page: 376
• Grant/Funding Information: The study was supported by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Incubating Program (PX2018063), Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (Z181100001718124), Beijing Talents Foundation (2017000021469G222), and the University of Macau (MYRG2019-00066-FHS; MYRG2022-00187-FHS).
• Keywords: ANXIETY; CHINA; CARE; INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX; Science & Technology; VALIDATION; Psychiatry; DEPRESSION; CRITICAL-APPRAISAL; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; WORKERS; OUTBREAK; VALIDITY
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Nursing; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Background: The extent and severity of post-COVID-19 mental health symptoms among frontline clinicians are not clear. This study compared mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms) and global quality of life (QOL) after the first COVID-19 outbreak between the COVID-19 treating and non-COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians. Methods: This cross-sectional, comparative, convenient-sampling study was conducted between October 13 and 22, 2020, which was five months after the first COVID-19 outbreak in China was brought under control. The severity of depression, anxiety, insomnia symptoms, and global QOL of the clinicians were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale—7 items (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire—brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to identify comparable COVID-19 treating and non-COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to assess the differences in PHQ-9, GAD-7, ISI, and QOL scores between the COVID-19 treating and non-COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians. Results: In total, 260 COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians and 260 matched non- COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians were included. Non-COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians experienced more frequent workplace violence (WPV) than the COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians (χ2 = 7.6, p = 0.006). COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians reported higher QOL compared to their non-COVID-19 treating frontline counterparts (b = 0.3, p = 0.042), after adjusting for WPV experience. COVID-19 treating and non- COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians reported similar PHQ-9, GAD-7, and ISI total scores (all p values > 0.05). Conclusion: This study did not reveal more severe post-COVID-19 mental health symptoms in COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians compared to non-COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians. It is possible that the implementation of timely and appropriate mental health, social and financial supports could have prevented the worsening of mental health symptoms among the COVID-19 treating frontline clinicians after the first COVID-19 outbreak in China.