Investigating the Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Occupational Society

The COVID-19 pandemic has a profound effect on various occupations and has different consequences for the working community. This study was designed and conducted to investigate the psychological consequences of the prevalence of COVID-19 on the occupational community in Iran.

This study was a follow-up study that was conducted in two phases (before and during the outbreak of COVID-19) from November 2019 to April 2020 in a chemical industrial complex in South Khorasan province, Iran. The study involved 330 employees in the chemical industry. The lifestyle and burnout of the employees were evaluated and analyzed using Walkerchr('39')s health-promoting lifestyle questionnaire and Maslach burnout inventory questionnaire, respectively.

The participation rate of individuals was 91.2% (301 employees). The mean age and work experience of the subjects were 38.1±13.4 and 9.9±8.7 years, respectively. There was a significant difference between the lifestyle and job burnout values before and during the outbreak of COVID-19 (p<0.05).

The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of COVID-19 has imposed many negative effects on the psychological components of the occupational community such as lifestyle and burnout. Therefore, it is suggested that psychological interventions be performed to improve the mental health of staff to reduce the psychological consequences of the outbreak of this disease.