Prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Africa: umbrella review of existing meta-analyses

Introduction

In Africa, healthcare professionals experienced various mental health problems during COVID-19. However, very little was done on the extensive evidence regarding mental disorders. The purpose of this umbrella review is to provide comprehensive data on the prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, and insomnia among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

Materials and Methods

Systematic searches of databases African Journals Online, MedRxiv, PubMed, and Google Scholar were used to identify studies from the occurrence of COVID-19 from December 2019 to March 2023 were included. To pool the gathered data for results with a 95% confidence interval (CI), DerSimonian-Laird random effects meta-analysis was used. For heterogeneity examination, I2 was used. The quality assessment was evaluated by using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist.

Results

A total of five studies reported the prevalence of depression, the pooled prevalence was 53.75% (95% CI [40.80-66.70], I2 = 63.6%, p = 0.027). In a total of four studies, the pooled prevalence of anxiety was 49.97% (95% CI [34.71-65.23], I2 = 71.26%, p = 0.014). From a total of two studies, the pooled prevalence of stress was 57.27% (95% CI [42.28-72.25], I2 = 58.9%, p = 0.119). From a total of four studies, the pooled prevalence of insomnia was 45.16% (95% CI [32.94-57.39], I2 = 50.8%, p = 0.107).

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic highly affects the mental health of healthcare professionals in Africa. Stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms were representing the most common based on evidences from existing meta-analyses. This evidence can help experts when executing specific interventions that address mental health problems among healthcare professionals during future public health crises.

Analyzing Mental Health Shifts Among Migrant Workers in Korea: A Comparative Study During and Post the COVID-19 Era

In the midst of a pandemic like COVID-19, migrant workers are highly vulnerable to the risk of mental health challenges and disorders. This study aimed to examine the variations in mental health and associated factors among migrant workers in Korea during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 830 migrant workers were included in this quantitative population-based study across two distinct COVID-19 periods: 415 from August 15, 2020 to January 20, 2021 (termed "during COVID-19" post-WHO pandemic declaration) and 415 from June 10 to September 18, 2023 (termed "after COVID-19" post-WHO and Korean Government announcement of the end COVID-19 as a global health emergency). The mental health of migrants was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety, and compared between the two defined COVID-19 periods. Migrant workers exhibited higher means of depression (15.99 ± 5.16 vs. 8.78 ± 5.77) and anxiety (11.02 ± 4.45 vs. 6.97 ± 4.42) during the COVID-19 compared to after the COVID-19. The prevalence of severe depression (30.4% vs. 8.2%, p = .038) and severe anxiety (24.1% vs. 5.3%, p = .047) was significantly higher during the COVID-19 than after the pandemic. Changes in the mean depression scores among migrants were significantly influenced by living status (0.12 ± 11.10, p = .030) and employment status (0.44 ± 10.33, p = .043), while changes in mean anxiety scores were influenced by social relief funds (2.88 ± 8.61, p = .046) and employment status (1.13 ± 8.39, p = .012). This study highlights the increased susceptibility of migrant workers to depression and anxiety during COVID-19 compared to after the pandemic. Thus, it is imperative to prioritize the expansion of social support funds, ensure employment stability, and implement regular health check-up services to reduce mental health disorders among migrants.

Determinants of tuberculosis among adult people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy at public hospitals in Hawassa City, South Ethiopia

Background

The burden of tuberculosis (TB)/HIV co-infection is high in sub-Saharan African countries. The aim of the present study was to identify determinants of TB among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at public hospitals in Hawassa City Administration, Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Methods

A facility-based case-control study was conducted between 30 March and 30 April 2023. We employed a systematic random sampling to recruit participants. The cases were all adult PLHIV who developed TB after ART initiation, and the group without TB were all adult PLHIV who did not develop TB after their ART initiation. Data were collected from patients' medical records using Kobo-tool and then exported to SPSS Version 26 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of TB. Statistical significance was defined using the 95% confidence interval (CI).

Result

A total of 124 cases and 249 people without TB participated in the study. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, we identified five independent determinants of TB. These include age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.7; 95% CI 1.4-5.2), patients' residency (AOR = 6.4; 95% CI 2.8-14.5), WHO clinical stage III or IV (AOR = 6.7; 95% CI 3.2-14.0), isoniazid plus rifapentine (3HP) prophylaxis using (AOR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.2-0.9), and having other opportunistic infections (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI 1.7-7.6).

Conclusion and recommendation

Several risk factors for TB were identified among PLHIV. Strengthening TB screening in advanced disease conditions, encouraging use of 3HP prophylaxis, and early diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections were recommended to reduce the incidence of TB among PLHIV.

Perceived Stress Among Nurses at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

The stress level of nurses, especially frontline staff, directly impacts their physical and mental health as well as work efficiency. However, few studies have been conducted to understand the stress level of nurses related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

AIM

The aim of this study is to assess the level of perceived stress among nurses at a tertiary care teaching hospital (King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey-based descriptive study involved 1044 nurses working at a tertiary care/teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess nurses' stress levels. The study was conducted in July 2021 by selecting clinical nurses from different nursing units. Considering the current situation of social isolation, an online cross-sectional survey using Google Forms was used. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).

RESULTS

Out of 1044 nursing professionals, 93 (8.9%) reported experiencing low levels of stress, 915 (87.6%) reported moderate levels of stress, and 36 (3.4%) reported high perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that gender (p=0.001) and nationality (p=0.016) had significant effects on stress levels. The three major causes of stress identified by the nurses were workload, lack of resources, and fear of contracting COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Job-related stress continues to be an issue in the nursing workforce. The effects of stress experienced by nurses impact job satisfaction and retention, which, in turn, can affect the quality of patient care. This study highlights that nurses in a tertiary care (COVID care) teaching hospital in our setting often experience stress and anxiety during the pandemic. It is worth noting that this is the first study conducted to understand the level of stress perceived by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in our current study setting. The findings indicate that a considerable number of nurses experienced moderate levels of stress during COVID-19, which can have implications for patient care. Recognizing and understanding the job-related stressors of nurses can help nurse leaders implement more effective strategies aimed at reducing nurses' stress and subsequently improving patient outcomes.

Delayed treatment seeking and its associated factors among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who are on follow-up at Dilla University Referral Hospital in the southern region of Ethiopia, 2022: a cross-sectional study

Background

Delay in psychiatric treatment leads to increased morbidity and mortality, as well as the emergence of several psychiatric and physical comorbidities and the use of life-threatening and life-altering self-treatments (such as licit and illicit substance misuse). Delaying detection and taking preventive measures against its modifiable factors are crucial for a better prognosis.

Objective

To assess delayed treatment seeking and its associated factors among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who are on follow-up at Dilla University Referral Hospital in the southern region of Ethiopia.

Method

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 8 June and 11 September at Dilla University Referral Hospital in the southern region of Ethiopia in 2022. Epicollect was used to collect data from 414 randomly selected participants using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Delayed treatment seeking was determined using participants' medical records and a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the explanatory variables for delayed treatment.

Results

The magnitude of delayed treatment seeking was 49.8% (95%CI = 44.9, 54.3). Study participants with disengaged family cohesion [AOR = 3.97, 95%CI = (2.999, 7.193)], inflexible family adaptability [AOR = 2.00, 95%CI = (1.686, 4.044)], who lack awareness about the availability of psychiatric treatment [AOR = 1.63, 95%CI = (1.362, 2.626)], high internalized stigma [AOR = 3.24, 95%CI = (2.770, 5.514)], and those with a negative attitude toward psychiatric treatment [AOR = 2.88, 95%CI = (2.034, 4.469)] had delayed seeking treatment. However, the participants whose educational status was higher than diploma [AOR = 0.040, 95%CI = (0.026, 0.077)] and high school [AOR = 0.09, 95%CI = (0.071, 0.204)] were less likely to have delayed seeking treatment.

Conclusions

There is a significant delay in seeking modern psychiatric treatment. Stigma, a lack of awareness of where treatment is available, disengaged family cohesion, inflexible family adaptability, distance to a health facility >5 km, and a negative attitude toward psychiatric treatment were barriers to seeking appropriate care.

Mental health problems among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Africa: a protocol for umbrella review

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 pandemic is a global health problem. In Africa, healthcare professionals face mental health problems due to COVID-19. But little was done on the prevalence of mental disorders among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Africa. This umbrella review of meta-analysis aimed to provide the pooled prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, suicide, demoralisation and insomnia during COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search the African Journals Online, MedRxiv, PubMed and Google Scholar to identify studies published from the occurrence of the pandemic to March 2023. Systematic review and meta-analysis studies assessing mental health problems among healthcare professionals in Africa will be considered. The outcomes of interest include prevalence of mental health problems on healthcare professionals following COVID-19. Two researchers will extract data and execute quality assessment independently. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist will be used to assess the quality of studies. Stata V.16.0 software will be used for statistical analysis. The I² and Cochran's Q-statistics will be used for analysis of heterogeneity. Publication bias will be examined by DOI plot and Luis Furuya Kanamori (LFK) index.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval and informed consent are not required as this is a literature review. The final results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022383939.

Factors affecting job stress among physical therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

<b>Background:</b> Physical therapists (PTs), like other healthcare professionals, are susceptible to job stress when involved in patient care, and several factors contribute to it. Therefore, this study aims to assess PTs’ knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) adopted by PTs during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their job stress.<br /> <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional design was used. 300 PTs from the government and private healthcare organizations in Saudi Arabia were randomly picked and invited to participate. Data were collected using a pre-tested content-validated KAP tool using a Google Form between January and March 2022. Data were analyzed quantitively through SPSS 24.0.<br /> <b>Results:</b> The findings revealed that 85% of PTs whose job involves direct contact with the patients are susceptible to higher stress (perceived stress score [PSS]=22.82) than others. Specifically, female and unmarried PTs are prone to more job stress than others (p&lt;0.05). In addition, PTs who were apprehensive about managing COVID-19 patients and worried about acquiring COVID-19 disease are prone to more job stress. Lastly, 89% of PTs who adopted the practice of wearing N-95 masks and proper handwashing techniques (&gt;80%) experience less stress than others (p&lt;0.05).<br /> <b>Conclusion:</b> The KAP of PTs influences job stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. PTs with sufficient knowledge about measures to adopt, show a positive attitude, and practice wearing proper PPEs, handwashing procedures, and waste disposal systems during patient care are prone to less job stress than others.

Pshychological Resilience and Percieved Stress Level in Nurses: Experience of Nurses in Turkey

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of psychological resilience levels of nurses on perceived stress levels in this study.

METHODS

The research was carried out with 153 nurses. Socio-demographic Questionnaire, The Brief Resilience Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale were used as data collection tools.

RESULTS

The nurses' total Brief Resilience Scale score average was 17.72 ± 4.48, and the total Perceived Stress Scale score average was 31.74 ± 7.18. There was a negative and moderately significant relationship between the resilience and stress level of the nurses. During the pandemic process, the level of stress that nurses perceive increases as their psychological resilience decreases.

CONCLUSION

Psychological resilience and coping with stress are traits that can be improved. It is important to establish strategies to increase the resilience of nurses and improve their ability to cope effectively with stress.

Anxiety and stress among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study intended to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and stress among healthcare professionals in Ethiopia.

DESIGN

This study applied a design of systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

DATA SOURCES

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND OUTCOMES: Observational studies examining anxiety and stress among healthcare professionals in Ethiopia following COVID-19 pandemic were considered. The primary outcomes were the prevalence of anxiety and stress and the secondary outcomes were factors associated to the prevalence of anxiety and stress.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two authors extracted the data and performed quality assessment independently. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of eligible studies. Random-effect model with the inverse variance method was used to estimate the pooled effect size of the outcome variables with its 95% CI. Publication bias was checked by DOI plot and Luis Furuya Kanamori index. Stata V.14.0 (StataCorp) software was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included. From eight studies the pooled prevalence of anxiety was 46% (95% CI 0.30% to 0.61%, τ²=0.0497, I²=99.07%, p<0.001). Nine studies reported about stress and the pooled prevalence was 51% (95% CI 0.41% to 0.62%, τ²=0.0253, I²=97.85%, p<0.001)). Age, sex, marital status, working department, history of contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases and profession were associated factors for high level of anxiety and stress.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 pandemic highly affects mental health of healthcare professionals in Ethiopia. Anxiety and stress were among reported mental health problems among healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Timely psychological counselling programmes should be applied for healthcare professionals to improve the general mental health problems.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022314865.

A Review of the Machine Learning Algorithms for Covid-19 Case Analysis

The purpose of this article is to see how machine learning (ML) algorithms and applications are used in the COVID-19 inquiry and for other purposes. The available traditional methods for COVID-19 international epidemic prediction, researchers and authorities have given more attention to simple statistical and epidemiological methodologies. The inadequacy and absence of medical testing for diagnosing and identifying a solution is one of the key challenges in preventing the spread of COVID-19. A few statistical-based improvements are being strengthened to answer this challenge, resulting in a partial resolution up to a certain level. ML have advocated a wide range of intelligence-based approaches, frameworks, and equipment to cope with the issues of the medical industry. The application of inventive structure, such as ML and other in handling COVID-19 relevant outbreak difficulties, has been investigated in this article. The major goal of this article is to 1) Examining the impact of the data type and data nature, as well as obstacles in data processing for COVID-19. 2) Better grasp the importance of intelligent approaches like ML for the COVID-19 pandemic. 3) The development of improved ML algorithms and types of ML for COVID-19 prognosis. 4) Examining the effectiveness and influence of various strategies in COVID-19 pandemic. 5) To target on certain potential issues in COVID-19 diagnosis in order to motivate academics to innovate and expand their knowledge and research into additional COVID-19-affected industries.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases analysis using machine-learning applications

Today world thinks about coronavirus disease that which means all even this pandemic disease is not unique. The purpose of this study is to detect the role of machine-learning applications and algorithms in investigating and various purposes that deals with COVID-19. Review of the studies that had been published during 2020 and were related to this topic by seeking in Science Direct, Springer, Hindawi, and MDPI using COVID-19, machine learning, supervised learning, and unsupervised learning as keywords. The total articles obtained were 16,306 overall but after limitation; only 14 researches of these articles were included in this study. Our findings show that machine learning can produce an important role in COVID-19 investigations, prediction, and discrimination. In conclusion, machine learning can be involved in the health provider programs and plans to assess and triage the COVID-19 cases. Supervised learning showed better results than other Unsupervised learning algorithms by having 92.9% testing accuracy. In the future recurrent supervised learning can be utilized for superior accuracy.

COVID-19 Stress and Teachers Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Sense of Coherence and Resilience

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many professions with short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Hence, this study examined the mediating role of sense of coherence (SOC) and resilience in the relation to COVID-19 stress and teachers' well-being (TWB). It recruited 836 teachers from Ethiopia's higher-education institutions, of which 630 (75.4%) were men and 206 (24.6%) were women, with a mean age of 32.81 years and a standard deviation of 6.42. Findings showed that COVID-19 stress negatively predicted SOC, resilience, and TWB and that SOC and resilience positively predicted TWB. It was concluded that SOC and resilience, both together and separately, mediated the relation between COVID-19 stress and TWB. These results were discussed alongside relevant literature, and the study is found to be valuable for practitioners and researchers who seek to improve well-being using SOC and resilience as resources across teaching professions.

The psychological impact, risk factors and coping strategies to COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in the sub-Saharan Africa: a narrative review of existing literature

BACKGROUND

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the physical and mental health of the general population worldwide, with healthcare workers at particular risk. The pandemic's effect on healthcare workers' mental well-being has been characterized by depression, anxiety, work-related stress, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Hence, protecting the mental well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a considerable priority. This review aimed to determine risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes and protective or coping measures to mitigate the harmful effects of the COVID-19 crisis among HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

We performed a literature search using PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Embase for relevant materials. We obtained all articles published between March 2020 and April 2022 relevant to the subject of review and met pre-defined eligibility criteria. We selected 23 articles for initial screening and included 12 in the final review.

RESULT

A total of 5,323 participants in twelve studies, predominantly from Ethiopia (eight studies), one from Uganda, Cameroon, Mali, and Togo, fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Investigators found 16.3-71.9% of HCWs with depressive symptoms, 21.9-73.5% with anxiety symptoms, 15.5-63.7% experienced work-related stress symptoms, 12.4-77% experienced sleep disturbances, and 51.6-56.8% reported PTSD symptoms. Healthcare workers, working in emergency, intensive care units, pharmacies, and laboratories were at higher risk of adverse mental health impacts. HCWs had deep fear, anxious and stressed with the high transmission rate of the virus, high death rates, and lived in fear of infecting themselves and families. Other sources of fear and work-related stress were the lack of PPEs, availability of treatment and vaccines to protect themselves against the virus. HCWs faced stigma, abuse, financial problems, and lack of support from employers and communities.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD in HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic has been high. Several organizational, community, and work-related challenges and interventions were identified, including improvement of workplace infrastructures, adoption of correct and shared infection control measures, provision of PPEs, social support, and implementation of resilience training programs. Setting up permanent multidisciplinary mental health teams at regional and national levels to deal with mental health and providing psychological support to HCWs, supported with long-term surveillance, are recommended.

Perceived stress and associated factors among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Background

During extensive outbreaks of infectious diseases, people who are impacted, particularly the subgroups of the community who are at an increased risk of mental health problems, may experience increased stress and mental health difficulties. University students are one such susceptible population and are prone to experiencing high levels of stress as compared with the general population. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing perceived stress and identifying its associated factors among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Ethiopia from 30 May to 30 June 2021. Students were asked to fill out an online survey on Google Forms that included consent, sociodemographic information, the UCLA-8 Loneliness Scale, the standard validated stress scale (PSS-10) questionnaire, and the three-item Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) to assess social support. The collected data were exported to SPSS 26. Descriptive and analytical statistics were carried out. Binary and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to find associated factors, and variables with a p-value of 0.05 were considered statistically significant variables.

Results

A total of 426 university students were included in the survey, among whom 268 (62.9%) were male participants. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 37 years. Health-related departments accounted for 37.1% of the participants, while non-health-related departments accounted for 62.9%. The prevalence of stress was 18.3% in the study population. In this study, extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy to prevent COVID-19, and loneliness were significantly associated with perceived stress.

Conclusion

Stress was prevalent among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy, and loneliness were identified as factors for stress. Therefore, we suggest that universities should provide opportunities for safe social connection, counseling, and guidance for students.

Étude multicentrique du stress chez le personnel soignant des centres hospitalo-universitaires (CHU) d’Abidjan dans le contexte de la pandémie à Covid-19

Introduction

L’organisation internationale du travail définit le stress comme la réponse physique et émotionnelle nocive causée par un déséquilibre entre les exigences perçues et les capacités et ressources perçues des individus pour y faire face.

Objectif

Évaluer le stress chez le personnel soignant des trois CHU d’Abidjan dans le contexte de la pandémie à COVID-19.

Méthodes

Une étude multicentrique transversale descriptive et analytique du stress a été conduite d’avril 2020 à juillet 2021 (10 mois) dans trois CHU fonctionnels d’Abidjan (Angré, Cocody, Treichville) pendant la pandémie à COVID-19. L’étude a porté sur l’ensemble du personnel soignant de ces CHU exerçant dans les services de soins et de diagnostic. Le job content questionnaire de KARASEK (26 items) a été utilisé pour l’évaluation du stress. Les données qualitatives ont été décrites par proportions, tandis que les données quantitatives par moyenne et écart-type. Le test de X² de Pearson a été utilisé dans l’étude analytique. Le seuil de significativité des tests était de 5 %.

Résultats

Notre étude a porté sur 783 soignants avec une prédominance féminine de 51,5 %. L’âge moyen était de 36,7 ± 7,36 ans. Le personnel paramédical représentait 60,9 % de l’effectif. La prévalence du stress était de 24 % et les gestes à risque d’exposition à la COVID-19 (57,4 %), les soins d’urgences (38,8 %) et l’affluence de patients (15,4 %) constituaient les situations de travail qui généraient le stress chez le personnel soignant. Il existait un lien statistique significatif entre la survenue stress et le nombre de personnes à charge (p = 0,036), la catégorie ASH (p = 0,036), l’ancienneté professionnelle (p = 0,0002) et l’insuffisance de mesures contre la COVID-19 (p = 0,032).

Conclusion

Ce travail a permis de mettre en évidence le stress d’origine professionnelle dans les CHU d’Abidjan et d’en connaître les facteurs de risque dans le contexte de la pandémie à COVID-19.

Psychological wellbeing and associated factors among nurses exposed to COVID 19: Findings from a cross sectional study

Background

The coronavirus pandemic known as COVID-2019 poses a global concern. The psychological well-being of front-line nurses and other healthcare providers is a major concern.

Aims

This study evaluated the psychological well-being and the associated factors among nurses in Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The cross-sectional survey was conducted during the peak period of COVID 19 among 367 nurses recruited from Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital. The online survey was used with the snowballing sampling technique to collect the participants' socio-demographic data and assess their psychological status using DASS-21; in addition, the major traumatic event was assessed by Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and self-efficacy was evaluated.

Results

67.7% of the 367 respondents experienced moderate or severe psychological problem; 46.1% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 48.0% moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 48.4% moderate to severe stress levels. The psychological status and influence of a major traumatic event and self-efficacy were statistically significant different among nurses according to age, gender, working experience, marital status, working in a COVID 19 unit or with suspected cases.

Conclusions

Nurses had a significantly increased risk of developing psychological problems, negatively impacted by the major traumatic event and poor self-efficacy.

Anxiety and Stress due to COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Factors Among Healthcare Workers in West Guji Zone Southern Ethiopia

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic loss of life around the world and has caused mental and social problems that affect every country in the world. Healthcare workers involved in providing care are at high risk of developing mental health problems as they face heavy workloads, life-and-death decisions, and the risk of infection is high. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19-related anxiety and stress and their associated factors among healthcare workers in Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in public health facility located in the West Guji district. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 283 study participants. Descriptive, binary, and multiple logistic regression statistics were used. Odds ratios adjusted with 95% CI were used, and statistical significance was declared with a p-value of < 0.05.

Results

A total of 275 participants were included, with a response rate of 97.2%. The prevalence of anxiety and stress were 25.5% and 9.1%, respectively. Factors associated with anxiety symptoms were age, psychoactive drug use, alcohol use, and monthly income, and stress symptoms were alcohol use, medical illness, and knowledge of healthcare workers due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

The prevalence of anxiety and stress among healthcare workers due to COVID-19 were an average compared with studies in low-income and high-income countries. Health institutions must focus on the well-being of healthcare workers during the fighting for COVID-19 and comprehensive psychological assistance to support the mental well-being of healthcare workers by giving different training.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40615-022-01335-1.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Its Predictors Among Healthcare Workers Following COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: COVID-19 causes immense psychological pressure on communities in addition to physical misery. There is currently a scarcity of data on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on Ethiopian healthcare workers (HCWs). Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and its predictors following COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) in southern Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study design was used among 387 randomly selected HCWs between September 25 and October 25, 2020 at four selected public hospitals in Sidama National Regional State, southern Ethiopia. Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to collect data post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Logistic regression analyses with 95% CI were used to examine the relationship between independent and outcome variables. Result: The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was found in 56.8% of participants. Significant factors that increase risk of PTSD symptoms were being female (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.19, 3.05), married (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.12, 3.14) and nurses (AOR = 3.31, 95% CI = 1.66, 6.63). On the other hand, HCWs working other than emergency unit such as inpatients/wards (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.75), OPD (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.97) and other units (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.25, 0.96) less likely to be affected by PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: The current study showed high levels of PTSD symptoms as psychological challenges for HCWs. Sex, age, marital status, type of profession and working environment were significant factors for PTSD symptoms in HCWs during the pandemic. HCWs require mental health support during and after the pandemic.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life and worry among mothers in Bhaktapur, Nepal

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of daily life worldwide, but the impact may be higher for impoverished populations. The main aim of this study is to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different aspects of daily life in mothers in Nepal. We included 493 mothers of children aged 54-71 months participating in a randomized controlled trial on vitamin B12 supplementation. Mothers answered questions regarding the exposure and impact of the pandemic on their daily lives, and pandemic-related worries and sleep problems. We examined the extent to which worry, and sleep problems differed between mothers according to their exposure to COVID-19, socioeconomic status, and previous symptoms of depression. The mean age (SD) of the mothers was 32.3 (4.6) years and 54% had education below the secondary level. Of the mothers, 5.4% had either been exposed to someone who had tested positive or who had a family member with COVID-19. One-third of the participants responded that the pandemic had affected their economic situation, employment, and family life to a great deal. Both mothers and fathers with educational levels above 10 years or households with higher socioeconomic status had significantly higher average worry scores (maternal p = 0.020 and paternal p = 0.005). Mothers with a history of symptoms of depression had significantly more worry-related sleep problems during the pandemic (p = 0.020) than those without a history of depressive symptoms. Our study underlines the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diverse aspects of everyday life of mothers in Nepal.

Prevalence and determinant factors of mental health problems among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in southern Ethiopia: multicentre cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress and its determinant factors during COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare professionals in southern Ethiopia.

DESIGN

Multi-centre cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND STUDY PERIOD

Randomly selected public hospitals in Sidama, southern Ethiopia between 25 September 2020 and 25 October 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

387 healthcare professionals were randomly selected.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence and determinant factors of depression, anxiety and stress was assessed.

RESULT

Depression, anxiety and stress prevalence were shown to be 50.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 45.0% to 55.0%), 55.0% (95% CI 51.1% to 59.9%) and 38.5% (95% CI 33.6% to 43.2%), respectively. Being female (adjusted odd ratio (AOR) 3.71, 95% CI 2.31 to 5.97), married (AOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.86), living alone (AOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.20), nurses (AOR 2.94, 95% CI 1.44 to 5.99) and working in inpatients (AOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.93) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Moreover, older age groups (AOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.04 to 6.56), females (AOR 3.25, 95% CI 2.01 to 5.25), married (AOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.87) and nurses (AOR 3.32, 95% CI 1.63 to 6.78) were significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety. Stress symptoms were significantly high among females (AOR 2.47, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.97), married (AOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.60 to 4.78), living alone (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.52), nurses (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.11 to 4.92) and working in units other than emergency (inpatient (AOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.57) and other units (AOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.95)).

CONCLUSION

The current study found that healthcare professionals have high levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Sex, age, marital status, type of profession, living status and working environment were significant factors for mental health problems in healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Healthcare professionals require mental health support at which monitoring and control can be performed during and after the pandemic.

Perceived Stress among School Students in Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 is a global health problem that has a significant effect on the educational systems. Therefore, students shifted to distance learning through the digital platform. Since COVID-19 has consequences on mental health, the present study examined the perceived stress level in school students in distance learning during the COVID-19 period. A cross-sectional study of a sample consisting of 385 school students evaluated the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and their concerns and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the mean value of the total PSS scores was 19.50 ± 9.28. About 48.6% of students had moderate stress, 28.8% had low stress, and 22.6% had high stress. Significant associations were found between the level of stress and demographic variables: age, gender, educational level, and place of residence. Female students were significantly higher than the male students in the mean score of perceived stress level (20.14 versus 18.13; p-value = 0.018). Females were more likely (53.4%) to have moderate stress than males (38.2%) (p = 0.019). The students aged 15–18 years were significantly higher than those aged 11–14 years in the mean score of perceived stress level (22.64 versus 17.24, respectively; p-value < 0.001). The students aged 15–18 years were also more likely (n = 536, 96.4%) to had high levels of stress than the younger students (p < 0.001). The results showed that secondary school students were significantly higher than primary school students in the mean score of perceived stress level (23.75 versus 16.76, respectively; p < 0.001). Secondary students were also more likely (43.0%) to have high stress than primary students (9.4%) (p < 0.001). Students who live in the Rafah governorate had a significantly lowest mean score of perceived stress level when compared to other counterparts (p-value = 0.005). Gender (β = − 0.282, P < 0.001), age (β = − 0.379, P = 0.004), place of residence (β = − 0.096, P = 0.034), and educational level (β = 0.845, P < 0.001) were predictors of perceived stress. The results revealed moderate to high levels of stress in school students in the Gaza Strip during schools closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of psychological distress attributed to suddenly shifted from traditional learning to distance learning. The incorporation of stress management programs and online counselling will minimize stress and enhance the mental health of school students during distance learning.

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

INTRODUCTION

The 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.

OBJECTIVE

This 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.

METHODS

An 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.

RESULTS

The 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.

CONCLUSION

Based 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.

Evidence Gaps and Challenges in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Africa: Scoping Review of the Ethiopian Experience

BACKGROUND

Ethiopia, like many African countries, took immediate actions to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and its impacts. However, the pandemic control measures were not guided by robust local evidence and not tailored to national contexts. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the evidence gaps and challenges of COVID-19 control measures in Ethiopia during the early months of the pandemic.

DESIGN

Scoping Review.

DATA SOURCE

Searches were conducted in PubMed, LitCovid, Web of Sciences, Embase, MedRx, ChemRxiv, BioRx, and Google Scholar.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Peer-reviewed or pre-print original research articles on COVID-19 from Ethiopia during a period of January 1, 2020 and October 10, 2020 were included in this review.

RESULTS

Of 573 articles found, 64 were eligible for inclusion. However, only 25 of them were peer-reviewed; 78% (50/64) were based on cross-sectional descriptive studies. Most of the studies focused on human behavior and healthcare system; only 13 articles addressed epidemiology and clinical spectrum of COVID-19. The studies have revealed a good level of awareness and a favorable attitude by community and healthcare workers (HCWs) towards COVID-19 and its control. However, the practices of infection prevention were found to be low among HCWs and the community. The outbreak unfolded at a slower rate than initially feared but the impact of the counter measures against COVID-19 on the delivery of essential healthcare services was felt more than the direct impact of the pandemic. Moreover, the actions taken by the country did not appear to be tailored to the pattern of the outbreak and existing local evidence. The overall number of published COVID-19-related scientific articles from Ethiopia during the review period was found to be limited.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 control in Ethiopia was challenged by lack of robust local scientific evidence, and the pandemic control measures were not adapted to local context and the outbreak patterns. Thus, Ethiopia and other African countries should design culturally sensitive and locally acceptable public health interventions for COVID-19 and potential future outbreaks based on locally generated scientific evidence.

Work-Related Stressors among the Healthcare Professionals in the Fever Clinic Centers for Individuals with Symptoms of COVID-19

Work-related stress can affect the quality of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the relationship between selected work-related stressors and stress levels among healthcare professionals providing preventive and curative services to people with COVID-19 symptoms in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia. A systematic random sampling using an online questionnaire approach was used to select healthcare professionals in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia during September 2020. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire including data on their sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, role conflict and ambiguity, social support, and stress. The results showed that role conflict and ambiguity were significant risk factors for stress, and social support was negatively associated with stress levels. Additionally, younger and non-Saudi healthcare professionals exhibited higher stress levels than their older and Saudi counterparts. In conclusion, role conflict, ambiguity, and social support can predict the risk of stress among healthcare professionals in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia.

Magnitude and determinants of the psychological impact of COVID-19 among health care workers: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The mental health of the health care professionals is more likely to be affected by the coronavirus disease-19 compared to the general population. Accordingly, the current study aimed to summarize the magnitudes and determinants of the psychological impact of coronavirus among health care professionals.

METHODS

The studies from Medline via PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were searched from 5 September to 19 October 2020. The review was conducted as per PRISMA-2009 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses).

RESULT

Initially, 6316 articles were searched from three databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar). Finally, 20 articles were filtered to be included in our review. Among different types of psychological impact, stress was reported that lies within the range from 5.2% to 100%, anxiety was reported from 11.1% to 100%, depression was from 10.6% to 58%, and insomnia was from 28.75% to 34%. Several factors were related to the negative psychological state of health care workers due to coronavirus disease-19 like educational level, occupation, gender, age, working environment, work experience, legal status, ethnicity, psychological comorbidity, social support, personal/family exposure, and feeling of health care providers.

CONCLUSION

The most common psychological impacts among health care workers were anxiety and stress. Besides different sociodemographic factors that determine the psychological impacts, front-line health care workers and participants having psychological comorbidity have a high risk of negative psychological state impacts as compared to their counterparts. Therefore, special attention should tend to health care workers directly involved in the prevention and management of coronavirus disease-19 and having a different risk of mental health condition.

Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies Among Undergraduate Health Science Students of Jimma University Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak: Online Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 infection has led countries across the globe to take various measures to contain the outbreak, including the closure of Universities. Forcing University students to stay at home has created enormous stress and uncertainty in their daily life. Objective: This study aimed to assess the perceived stress and coping strategies among undergraduate health science students of Jimma University amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 337 undergraduate health science students from August to September 5, 2020. The perceived stress scale (PSS)-10 and Brief-COPE scale were used to assess the level of stress and coping strategies, respectively. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 22 was employed for data analysis. Logistic regression was conducted to identify predictors of high perceived stress. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 22.88 (±1.78) years. The mean (±SD) PSS score was 22.16 (±1.41), and high perceived stress was reported in 121 (35.9%) participants. The overall mean (±SD) coping score was 72.34 (±12.31), and approach coping was the predominantly used strategy for coping with stress. Personal perception of being stressed by the daily number of COVID-19 cases/deaths in Ethiopia (AOR = 4.61, p < 0.01), rare online talk/chat with friends (AOR = 4.07, p = 0.01), presence of confusion due to the inconsistent strategies developed by the health/government authorities in view of the scientific recommendations (AOR = 2.22, p = 0.01), perception of self/family members being at risk of getting sick (AOR = 0.53, p = 0.03), decreased household income following the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR = 3.92, p = 0.01), practicing denial (AOR = 1.34, p < 0.01), self-blame (AOR = 1.23, p = 0.02), planning (AOR = 1.28, p = 0.01), and religion (AOR = 1.41, p < 0.01) as means of coping with stress were associated with high perceived stress. Conclusion: Over one-third of the participants had a high level of perceived stress, and the majority of them were practicing effective means of coping with stress. The authors recommend that the hosting University in collaboration with the concerned bodies develop innovative strategies to improve the psychological well-being of the students.

Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Stress and Coping Strategies Among Adults with Chronic Disease in Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented a great threat to the physical and mental health of the general population. Patients with chronic disease have always been vulnerable to stressful life conditions. Therefore, determining the perceived stress and coping strategies among chronic disease patients is crucial to minimize the mental health consequences related to the outbreak.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine COVID-19-related stress and coping strategies among adults with chronic disease in southwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 613 randomly selected adults with chronic disease in southwest Ethiopia. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the COVID-19-related stress score and coping strategy types, and independent sample t-tests and ANOVA tests were conducted. Statistical significance was accepted at p-values <0.05.

RESULTS

More than two-thirds of study participants (68.4%) were moderately stressed, 13.9% were severely stressed, and 17.8% had low levels of perceived stress. Active coping (β=1.238, 95% CI: 0.0 to 2.477), denial (β=3.678, 95% CI: 2.44 to 4.915), behavioral disengagement (β=3.669, 95% CI: 2.193 to 5.146), self-blame (β=1.722, 95% CI: 0.146 to 3.297), and religion (β=3.443, 95% CI: 2.028 to 4.858) coping strategies positively predicted the COVID-19-related stress score. Only the acceptance coping strategy (β=-2.710, 95% CI: -3.926 to -1.493) negatively predicted the COVID-19-related stress score.

CONCLUSION

Significant numbers of participants suffered from moderate to severe perceived stress levels due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategy types were significantly associated positively and negatively with perceived stress score among adults with chronic disease. There were significant differences in the mean scores of perceived stress and categories of variables such as family size, duration of disease, and age of the participants.