PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression, and stress during COVID-19 pandemic among frontline healthcare providers in Gurage zonal public hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

  • Fisha Alebel GebreEyesus,
  • Tadesse Tsehay Tarekegn,
  • Baye Tsegaye Amlak,
  • Bisrat Zeleke Shiferaw,
  • Mamo Solomon Emeria,
  • Omega Tolessa Geleta,
  • Tamene Fetene Terefe,
  • Mtiku Mammo Tadereregew,
  • Melkamu Senbeta Jimma,
  • Fatuma Seid Degu,
  • Elias Nigusu Abdisa,
  • Menen Amare Eshetu,
  • Natnael Moges Misganaw,
  • Ermias Sisay Chanie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259906
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 11
p. e0259906

Abstract

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IntroductionThe provision of quality health care during the COVID-19 pandemic depends largely on the health of health care providers. However, healthcare providers as the frontline caregivers dealing with infected patients, are more vulnerable to mental health problems. Despite this fact, there is scarce information regarding the mental health impact of COVID-19 among frontline health care providers in South-West Ethiopia.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the levels and predictors of anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among frontline healthcare providers in Gurage zonal public hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 322 health care providers from November 10-25, 2020 in Gurage zonal health institutions. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A pretested self -administered structured questionnaire was used as a data collection technique. The data were entered into the Epi-data version 3.01 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (chi-square tests) were presented Bivariable and Multivariable logistic regression analyses were made to identify variables having a significant association with the dependent variables.ResultsThe results of this study had shown that the overall prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress among health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic was 36%, [95% CI = (30.7%- 41.3%)], 25.8% [95% CI = (21.1%- 30.4%)] and 31.4% [95% CI = (26.4%- 36.0%)] respectively. Age, Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR = 7.9], Educational status, [AOR = 3.2], low monthly income [AOR = 1.87], and presence of infected family members [AOR = 3.3] were statistically associated with anxiety. Besides this, gender, [AOR = 1.9], masters [AOR = 10.8], and degree holder [AOR = 2.2], living with spouse [AOR = 5.8], and family [AOR = 3.9], being pharmacists [AOR = 4.5], and physician [AOR = (0.19)], were found to be statistically significant predictors of depression among health care providers. Our study finding also showed that working at general [AOR = 4.8], and referral hospitals [AOR = 3.2], and low monthly income [AOR = 2.3] were found to be statistically significant predictors of stress among health care providers.ConclusionBased on our finding significant numbers of healthcare providers were suffered from anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. So, the Government and other stakeholders should be involved and closely work and monitor the mental wellbeing of health care providers.