Mental Health of Caregivers Working in Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> There have been numerous reports of cluster outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitals and nursing homes. Healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 experience mental health issues. Caregivers in nursing homes experienced increased psychological distress and concern about deterioration of their mental health. We conducted a large-scale web-based survey exploring mental health among caregivers working in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of identifying their support needs. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Survey participants were caregivers working at 284 nursing homes in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. The survey period was from September 2020 to March 2021. Participants responded to a questionnaire covering gender, age, occupation, infections at facilities, infection protection, changes in nursing home users, cooperation with other medical institutions, and prejudice/discrimination. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate participants’ depression and anxiety. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In total, 676 participants completed the survey; 350 (52.5%) were with anxiety symptoms and 378 (56.7%) were with depressive symptoms (scores exceeding the HADS cut-off points). The risk for anxiety was associated with being care worker or social worker. The risk of anxiety or depression was high when family caregivers’ mental state changed. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> This study found that caregivers working in nursing homes were exposed to high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and were at high risk for developing depression and anxiety.