The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Providers in Obstetrics: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Lidia Del Piccolo¹  Maddalena Ginami²  Enrico Sartori²  Francesca Ciccarone³  Giovanni Scambia³  Massimo Franchi⁴  Valeria Donisi¹  Ricciarda Raffaelli⁴  Simone Garzon⁴  Cinzia Perlini¹  Michela Rimondini¹  Stefano Uccella⁴  Antonella Cromi⁵  Fabio Ghezzi⁵ 

[1] Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Verona;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria

关键词: health care providers;    COVID-19;    obstetrics;    psychological distress;    GHQ-12;    coping strategies;    stress;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.632999

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Objective: To assess the psychological distress of healthcare providers (HCPs) working in the field of obstetrics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify factors associated with psychological distress at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational level. Design: Cross-sectional survey study. Setting: Four University hospitals in Italy. Participants: HCPs working in obstetrics, including gynecologists, residents in gynecology and obstetrics, and midwives. Methods: The 104-item survey Impatto PSIcologico COVID-19 in Ostetricia (IPSICO) was created by a multidisciplinary expert panel and administered to HCPs in obstetrics in May 2020 via a web-based platform. Main Outcome Measures: Psychological distress assessed by the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) included in the IPSICO survey. Results: The response rate to the IPSICO survey was 88.2% (503/570), and that for GHQ-12 was 84.4% (481/570). Just over half (51.1%; 246/481) of the GHQ-12 respondents reported a clinically significant level of psychological distress (GHQ-12 ≥3). Psychological distress was associated with either individual (i.e., female gender, stressful experience related to COVID-19, exhaustion, and the use of dysfunctional coping strategies), interpersonal (i.e., lower family support, limitations in interactions with colleagues), and organizational (i.e., reduced perception of protection by personal protective equipment, perceived delays on updates and gaps in information on the pandemic) factors in dealing with the pandemic. Conclusions: Results confirm the need for monitoring and assessing the psychological distress for HCPs in obstetrics. Interventions at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational level may relieve the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and foster resilience skills in facing emotional distress.

【 授权许可】

CC BY