Duty to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Perceptions of Health Care Providers in Jordan.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess perceptions of duty to work among health care providers during the coronavirus disease 2019 response and to identify factors that may influence their perceptions. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from April 1, 2020, to April 20, 2020, using an online survey distributed to health care providers in Jordan. Descriptive statistics were used, as well as chi-square test for independence to assess relationships between variables. RESULTS: A total of 302 questionnaires were included. Commitment to serve the community was the primary reason for coming to work (36%), followed by commitment to faith (29.6%). The major perceived barriers for coming to work were lack of appropriate personal protective equipment and appropriate training (62.6% and 53.5%, respectively). Males perceived higher work obligations than females in all potential barriers (P < .05), except for the lack of appropriate training. Nurses perceived higher work obligations than other health care providers despite the lack of appropriate training (χ2 = 11.83, P = .005), lack of effective vaccine or treatment (χ2 = 21.76, P < .001), or reported infection among coworkers (χ2 = 10.18, P = .03). DISCUSSION: While the majority of health care providers perceive an obligation to work during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, specific conditions, mainly lack of protective gear and training, may significantly alter their perception of work obligation. Providing training and proper personal protective equipment are among the vital measures that could improve the work environment and work obligation during pandemic conditions.

Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) Among Jordanian Adults.

There is an urgent need to assess the impacts of the Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) outbreak on mental health among the general population such as the Fear of COVID-19. The current study aimed to provide further validation of the Arabic version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) for use among Jordanian adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online survey between 1 and 12 May 2020. The forward-backward translation method was adopted to translate the FCV-19S into Arabic. The study sample included 725 Jordanian adults. The internal consistency (Cronbach's α) was 0.91 indicating excellent internal consistency. As for convergent validity, a significant positive correlation was found between the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the three subscales of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), with the highest correlation being between the FCV-19S and the anxiety subscale (r = 0.54, p < .05), followed by the stress subscale (r = 0.51, p < .05), and lastly, the depression subscale (r = 0.46, p < .05). Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory (IRT). The unidimensional factor structure of the FCV-19S was confirmed on the study sample. The Arabic version of the FCV-19S is a reliable and valid instrument with good psychometric properties. The use of this scale for assessing the severity of fear related to the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabic-speaking populations is recommended. The findings may guide future COVID-19-related research and further validation testing.

Psychological impacts during the COVID-19 outbreak among adult population in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

In response to the initial outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the pandemic-related restraints and preventive measures implemented, the global population has been experiencing a wide range of immediate psychological reactions, such as fear and psychological distress. The present study aimed to assess the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of adults during the national lockdown implemented in Jordan. A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. An anonymous online questionnaire was used to collect data on the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, the changes in daily life they had experienced, their fear of COVID-19, and their depression, anxiety, and stress levels. A total of 725 Jordanian adults aged 18-65 years (mean = 33.7, SD = 9.3) were included in this study, with most of the participants being female (n = 409, 56.4%). The majority of the participants reported changes in their daily routines and activities during the COVID-19 lockdown, with 62.8% of the participants reporting weight changes, 92% reporting increased social media use, and 86.5% reporting increased mobile phone use and checking. Further, 41.4% of the participants reported high levels of fear of COVID-19, while 41.8%, 24.5%, and 22.8% reported mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. Female participants had significantly higher levels of fear of COVID-19 and stress than did males. Fear of COVID-19 was significantly positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress scores. Anxiety, stress, gender, having physical disorders, and having mental disorders were identified as being significant predictive factors of fear of COVID-19. The findings of this study highlight the urgent need to pay further attention towards maintaining the psychological well-being of the public during this global crisis. The findings may guide the development of appropriate public health strategies aimed at promoting healthy living, improving mental health, and reducing fear and other psychological problems among at-risk groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the findings may guide further qualitative, longitudinal, and experimental studies both during and after the lockdown.

Depression, coping skills, and quality of life among Jordanian adults during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic: cross sectional study.

Little is known about the immediate psychological impacts of the national lockdown implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population in Arab countries like Jordan. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of depression, coping skills, and quality of life and their correlates among a sample of Jordanian adults aged ≥18 years during the COVID-19 lockdown implemented in Jordan. A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was conducted using an anonymous online self-report survey to collect data on participants' demographics, depression, coping skills, and quality of life. This study included a total of 511 participants aged 18-65 years (mean = 30, SD = 10.6), most of whom were female (n = 333, 65.2%). About 65% (n = 332) of the participants were found to be suffering from depressive symptoms and 32% (n = 163) of them had moderate to severe depression levels. Religion, acceptance, and planning were the most frequently reported coping skills. The mean total quality of life score among all of the participants was 73.21 (SD = 16.17). Female participants had significantly higher levels of depression and lower levels of quality of life than male participants. Further, age was not found to be significantly correlated with depression, coping skills, or total quality of life scores. Depression scores were significantly positively correlated with coping skills and negatively correlated with total quality of life scores. No significant correlation was found between coping skills scores and total quality of life scores in this study. Being employed, holding an undergraduate degree, having chronic physical problems, and having mental health problems were found to be significantly associated with higher levels of depression. Holding a graduate degree, being a student, having military health insurance, not having mental health problems, and being a non-smoker were found to be significantly associated with lower coping skills scores. Being female, being educated to high school level or below, having mental health problems, and having family history of chronic physical problems were found to be significantly associated with lower total quality of life scores. This study provides valuable information on the psychological impacts of the national lockdown during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jordanian adults. This information may help in the development of appropriate psychological interventions aimed at improving mental health and quality of life among at-risk groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.