Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in huge psychological
distress, especially for people working under risky conditions, such as
healthcare workers. We aimed to investigate the psychological challenges
of Turkish healthcare workers during the outbreak and discuss the factors
that increase their burden, including stigmatization.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey composed of sociodemographic
data, questions about perceived stigma, and concerns about working
conditions was completed. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21
(DASS-21) was also used.
Results: 634 participants completed the survey and the prevalence of
moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms
were 36%, 35%, and 22%, respectively. Being female, working with close
contact with patients with COVID-19 and having a psychiatric disorder
history were risk factors for psychological distress. The healthcare workers
with significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores described
having less amount of personal protective equipment, lower support from
their supervisors, and more unsafe working conditions. Additionally, 7% of
the participants stated that they perceived stigmatization by their families
and close friends, 14% perceived stigmatization by their neighbours,
relatives, and less intimate friends; and 7% perceived stigmatization by
unfamiliar people. Healthcare workers who perceived other people as
more dismissive had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores.
Conclusion: Our study shows that healthcare workers are at risk of
developing psychological disturbances during infectious outbreaks. To
minimize the psychological impact, additional risk factors such as having
a previous psychiatric disorder, working under unsafe conditions, and
stigmatization should be taken into account and a more supportive and
safer environment should be provided.
Keywords: Anxiety, COVID-19, depression, healthcare workers,
stigmatization