Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression, and Perceived Stigma in Healthcare Workers in Nepal During Later Phase of First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has caused discrimination and social stigma among healthcare workers (HCW) causing psychological problems due to prolonged work shifts, uncertain pay, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), added fear of infection to self or family, and so on. This online survey is directed towards the determination of anxiety, depression, and stigma among healthcare providers in Nepal during the later phase of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods Anxiety and depression were assessed using standard Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Data for the survey were collected from January 10, 2021, to February 6, 2021, and analyzed using Stata 15 (College Station, TX: StataCorp LLC). Results A total of 213 participants were enrolled in the study from different parts of Nepal and their mean age was 29.90±6.43 years. The prevalence of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers was 46.95% and 41.31%, respectively. A bidirectional relationship was present between GAD-7 and PHQ-9 score interpretation. About 57% of HCW experienced some form of perceived stigmatization due to COVID-19. Frontline HCW were six times more likely to be stigmatized compared to non-front line HCWs and diagnosis of COVID-19 was associated with three times higher odds of facing perceived stigmatization. Conclusion A significant number of HCW experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression during the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline HCW who were infected experienced a higher level of stigma.

Stress among Resident Doctors Working in Different Hospitals of Nepal in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The emergence and propagation of COVID-19 pandemic has subjected resident doctors to greater workload and consequent psychological implications. Many studies have illustrated various degrees of mental health issues among health care workers in general; however very limited ones have focused primarily on the resident doctors. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the prevalence of stress among the resident doctors of Nepal. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in all the teaching hospitals of Nepal with ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number-245). An online self-designed structured questionnaire developed using Google forms along with questions from stress subscale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 was disseminated to the residents via social media platforms using Convenience sampling technique. Responses generated were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: The prevalence of stress among resident doctors was found to be 16 (8.2%) (4.3-12.1 at 95% Confidence Interval). Greater prevalence of stress was seen among residents working outside Kathmandu valley, those in the frontline and those who were unmarried. Loss of collaborative study/ professional and academic growth experiences was responsible for causing extremely severe stress among 60 (30.9%) residents, followed by stress due to uncertainty regarding COVID-19 58 (29.9%) and unavailability/lack of quality control of personal protective equipment 58 (29.9%). CONCLUSIONS: This study has shed light upon the prevalence of stress and its precipitating factors in Nepalese resident doctors due to COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings could help address these issues for their mitigation promptly.

Socio-psychological Study of COVID-19 Pandemic among Healthcare Workers in a Medical College of Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Health care workers experienced considerable psychological distress as a result of COVID-19 due to providing direct patient care, quarantine or self-isolation, and lockdown experience. They are front line workers handling the patients and are at greater risk than others. This study aims to determine the socio-psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers of a medical college in Nepal. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study from different institutions of the Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences from May 2020 to July 2020 was conducted. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee, Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences. A total of 212 responses were collected through Google form along with the Depression, anxiety, stress and scale-21 to assess the level of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. Analysis of the data was done using Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 22. RESULTS: Respondents with extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress was found to be 16 (7.5%), 24 (11.3%), and 4 (1.95%) respectively. Most of the respondents do not have travel history, but 6 (2.8%) and 28 (13.2%) have direct and indirect contact respectively with the COVID patients. Daily activities such as food intake, the workload at home, and relationships with family members were increased. 208 (98%) have followed preventive measures such as mouth mask, hand washes, and physical distance. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a significant level of depression, anxiety, and stress on health care workers caring for infected patients, with their main concern being the risk of transmitting the infection to their families or acquiring it themselves.