Anxiety in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim – to study the manifestation of situational anxiety symptoms in medical personnel working on the front lines with patients with COVID-19, and medical personnel working in other areas of medicine, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Material and methods. The survey and analysis were conducted among the following groups: Group 1 – medical workers of COVID-19 specialty hospitals providing medical care to patients with COVID-19 (n=201); Group 2 – medical workers of multidisciplinary hospitals providing medical care in their main profile, working in the "normal mode" and periodically identifying patients with the disease of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (n=195); Group 3 – outpatient medical workers providing medical care in conditions of an increased epidemic threshold for SARS, influenza and a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (n=186). The control group included employees of engineering, technical and economic specialties, not related to the work in medical organizations (healthy). To study the components of situational anxiety in medical workers, the methodology "Use of the Integrative Anxiety Test (ITT)" was used.

Results. For all components, the indicators were significantly higher in the group of medical workers of COVID-19 hospitals compared to other groups. Among healthcare workers in COVID-19 hospitals, the index of "alarming assessment of prospects" prevails. In medical workers of multidisciplinary hospitals, the "asthenic component" indicator prevails. Among outpatient medical workers, the "phobic component" indicator prevails.