Fear and depression among health care professionals: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

Authors

  • Sharmin H. Prima Department of Public Health, University of South Asia, Bangladesh
  • Israt Jahan Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7546-4075
  • Tanjina Atique Department Community Dentistry, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh
  • M. N. Kaikobad Department of Public Health, University of South Asia, Bangladesh
  • M. R. Ahmed Department of Chemistry, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6606-5294
  • Mohammad Jahangir A. Sarker Department of Medicine, BIHS General Hospital, Bangladesh
  • Faridul Alam Vice-Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20240252

Keywords:

COVID-19, Depression, Fear, Health-care professionals

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern that can result in severe mental health conditions like depression and fear in health-care professionals (HCPs).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, where 834 HCPs were self-recruited via social media. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify predicting factors.

Results: Approximately one-third of the total participants were depressed (27.3%) and those with depressive symptoms had significant fear of COVID-19. Significant risk factors for depressive symptoms were being female, being married, having no children, having high risk elderly persons at home, being afraid of death due to COVID-19 and having comorbid diseases. Fear of death due to COVID-19 was the most common significant contributing factor the scales for depression model, β=0.397, for fear of COVID-19 model and β=0.478 respectively. Quality of PPE played a vital role for depression as majority of HCPs. About 65.3% of HCPs who were restless while examining a patient with flu symptoms and majority of HCPs who felt insecure about their family members.

Conclusions: Most of the HCPs faced several challenges during COVID-19 and psychological impacts of frontline HCPs were associated with interventions and rehabilitations to improve the mental health.

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References

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Published

2024-01-31

How to Cite

Prima, S. H., Jahan, I., Atique, T., Kaikobad, M. N., Ahmed, M. R., Sarker, M. J. A., & Alam, F. (2024). Fear and depression among health care professionals: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 11(2), 662–670. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20240252

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Original Research Articles