Short report: factors determining perceived stress among medical staff in radiology departments during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Medical staff in radiology departments faces a higher risk of infection and a heavier workload during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. High perceived stress levels endanger physical and mental health and affect work efficiency and patient safety. Therefore, it is urgent to understand the perceived stress levels of medical staff and explore its risk factors. We recruited 600 medical staff from the radiology departments of 32 public hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, to evaluate perceived stress scores via a mobile app-based questionnaire. The results showed that the perceived stress level among medical staff in the radiology departments during the COVID-19 outbreak was high and a sense of tension was strongly present. A positive correlation was found between anxiety score and perceived stress. Multivariate analysis showed that risk factors for perceived stress were female, existing anxiety, and fears of being infected at work, an uncontrollable outbreak, and not being able to pay rent or mortgage. Conversely, good knowledge about COVID-19, being unmarried, and working in a higher-grade hospital were protective factors for perceived stress. Therefore, more attention should be given to medical staff in the radiology departments that present the risk factors outlined above. Timely risk assessment of psychological stress and effective intervention measures should be taken for these high-risk groups to keep their perceived stress within normal limits.

Factors Influencing Anxiety of Health Care Workers in the Radiology Department with High Exposure Risk to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND During the outbreak of COVID-19, health care workers in the radiology department frequently interact with suspected patients and face a higher risk of infection and sudden surges in workload. High anxiety levels seriously harm physical and mental health and affect work efficiency and patient safety. Therefore, it is critical to determine anxiety levels of health care workers and explore its risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to evaluate the anxiety and resilience of 364 health care workers with high exposure risk from the radiology departments of 32 public hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze factors related to anxiety. RESULTS The mean anxiety score was 44.28±8.93 and 23.4% of our study participants reported mild (n=63), moderate (n=19), or severe (n=3) anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, job position, availability of protective materials, signs of suspected symptoms, and susceptibility to emotions and behaviors of people around them were identified as risk factors for anxiety, whereas psychological resilience was identified as a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that the anxiety level of health care workers in the radiology department with a high exposure risk to COVID-19 was high in the early stage of the outbreak, although the majority remained within normal limits. Timely assessment and effective intervention measures can improve the mental health of these at-risk populations.

Factors Associated with Resilience Among Medical Staff in Radiology Departments During The Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence suggests that in the face of life adversity, threats, or other major stressful events, resilience is more conducive to individual adaptation and growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale were used to evaluate the resilience and perceived stress of 600 medical staff members from the radiology departments in 32 public hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze factors related to resilience. RESULTS The total resilience score was 65.76±17.26, wherein the toughness dimension score was 33.61±9.52, the strength dimension score was 21.25±5.50, and the optimism dimension score was 10.91±3.15. There was a significant negative correlation between perceived stress and resilience (r=-0.635, P<0.001). According to multivariate analysis, the total perceived stress score (ß=-1.318, P<0.001), gender (ß=-4.738, P<0.001), knowledge of COVID-19 (ß=2.884, P=0.043), knowledge of COVID-19 protective measures (ß=3.260, P=0.042), and availability of adequate protective materials (ß=-1.268, P=0.039) were independent influencing factors for resilience. CONCLUSIONS The resilience level of the medical staff in the radiology departments during the outbreak of COVID-19 was generally low, particularly regarding toughness. More attention should be paid to resilience influence factors such as high perceived stress, female gender, lack of understanding of COVID-19 and protective measures, and lack of protective materials, and targeted interventions should be undertaken to improve the resilience level of the medical staff in the radiology departments during the outbreak of COVID-19.