Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Aceh, Indonesia During COVID-19 Pandemic

During COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are under physical and psychological pressure as the frontline workers to deal with the disease. They are also at high risk to be exposed to COVID-19 which may have impact on their mental health status. The study aims to examine the mental health status of healthcare workers including physicians, nurses and midwives in Aceh, Indonesia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between June 15 - August 30, 2021. The online questionnaire was distributed using social network with snowball technique and the author' personal contacts. A total 0f 530 physicians, nurses and midwives participated in the study. The survey measured mental health status using Self Reporting Questionnaire 29 (SRQ-29). Among healthcare workers, the highest proportion of mental health outcome was post traumatic syndrome disorder (PTSD) (28.4%), followed by anxiety and depression (24.3%). There was no difference of mental health outcomes based on gender. Older and female healthcare workers were more likely to suffer from anxiety and depressive symptoms. Nurses were at higher risk of having psychotic disorder and PTSD. It can be concluded that this study highlights the urgency to provide psychological support to healthcare workers. © 2023 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.

Anxiety level and functional dyspepsia incidence during COVID-19 pandemic

The adaptation process of the learning system, the hospital environment, and the high risk of COVID-19 infection can be stressors for anxiety in clinical clerkship. Through the brain-gut–axis, the interaction of psychological factors, such as anxiety, can trigger symptoms related to functional dyspepsia. This study aimed to determine the relationship between anxiety levels and functional dyspepsia during the COVID-19 pandemic among clinical clerkship students. This research was conducted on clinical clerkship students/young doctors in 2021. This was an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional approach and involved 131 respondents. The hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) questionnaire was utilized to quantify the level of anxiety, while functional dyspepsia was measured based on Rome IV criteria. The data were analyzed by the Lambda (λ) coefficient of correlation test. This study revealed a significant relationship between anxiety level and functional dyspepsia during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.