Depression, Anxiety and Coping Responses among Iranian Healthcare Professionals during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the effects of different coping strategies on the mood states (anxiety and depression) of healthcare providers in the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

From February to April 2020, we asked medical staff in 4 referral hospitals in Iran to voluntarily complete online questionnaires including: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire-28. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were applied to identify the associations of coping strategies and mood states.

258 people filled out the online questionnaire. Of them, 39.9% and 39.1% reported anxiety and depression, respectively, with age as a risk factor. Overall, participants used more emotion-based coping strategies. Anxiety and depression were associated with applying more of emotion-based and less of problem-based coping mechanisms. The findings remained stable even after adjustment for confounding variables including age, gender and direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

Providing social support to health workers, planning to reduce their perceived stigma, and educating them about how to use more effective coping mechanisms can be beneficial in reducing the psychological impact on this segment of the population in the event of COVID-19.