Correlates of Psychological Stress and Trauma Symptoms with COVID-19 Exposure among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Abstract Background: During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been at the frontline of the healthcare and have reported higher risk of infection along with higher stress levels. This study aims to understand the association of the stress and trauma related symptoms in HCWs in relation to the COVID 19 exposure. Methods: A prospective follow up study was conducted in HCWs working at two obstetric centers in India from July to August 2020. HCWs who had been exposed to COVID 19 patients were assessed for stress and trauma related symptoms before the RTPCR test and once after the RTPCR test results were out. The Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Perceived Stress scale (PSS) and Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) were used to assess the stress and trauma related symptoms in HCWs. Results: A total of 151 HCWs participated in the study. 120 (79.4%) of the participants were female. 95 out of the 151 (62.5%) participants belonged to the 20-40 years age group. There was a significant reduction in stress related scores of HCWs in both SRQ-20 and PSS after the RTPCR results. Conclusion: There is increased psychological distress in HCWs after exposure to COVID infection, which significantly decreases once their COVID test is done. This indicates that the fear of infection itself is a stressful and traumatic process affecting the HCWs. The results highlight the importance of screening HCWs for stress related symptoms after exposure. Providing immediate psychological support to the HCWs will improve mental status and working capacity at the earliest.