Assessment of the Anxiety Level and Trust in Information Resources among Iranian Health-Care Workers During the Pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Abstract

Introduction: The psychological impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on health-care workers (HWs) are undeniable, especially that knowledge on the disease is limited, and the credibility of some existing sources of information is questionable. We aimed to assess the level of anxiety and trust in information resources among Iranians' HWs. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1199 HWs between March and April 2020 in Iran. Data on demographic variables, sources of information about the COVID-19, and the trust level to them were collected using online self-administered questionnaires. The anxiety severity level was assessed using the Zung self-rating anxiety scale. Data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression models. Results: The mean age of participants was 32.5 ± 8.79, and 65.7% (n = 763) were male. 30.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) (CI: 27.8%–33.1%) of HWs had mild to moderate, and 21.3% (95% CI: 18.9%–23.7%) had severe and extremely severe levels of anxiety. TV (83.7%) and social media networks (58.2%) were the most frequent information sources. The lowest trust level and highest anxiety levels, and in contrast, the highest trust level and lowest anxiety levels were observed among social media users and TV viewers, respectively. The results of the multiple linear analysis showed that less work experience (P = 0.003), master's degree or above (P = 0.006), being divorced or widowed (P < 0.001), higher levels of exposure to COVID-19 patients (P < 0.05), having a history of mental illness (P < 0.001), and having underlying medical conditions (P < 0.001) were associated with higher anxiety levels. Conclusion: The study results revealed that the anxiety level among the HWs is relatively significant, and the trust level in social media networks was the lowest. Further psychological assessments and more investigations regarding the reasons for the reduction of trust and the development of the appropriate approaches to improve it are required.