Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine (대한예방의학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam

  • Nhan Phuc Thanh Nguyen (Institute for Community Health Research, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University) ;
  • Ha Phan Ai Nguyen (Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health) ;
  • Cao Khoa Dang (Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University) ;
  • Minh Tri Phan (University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University) ;
  • Huynh Ho Ngoc Quynh (Faculty of Public Health, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy) ;
  • Van Tuan Le (Faculty of Medicine of Nguyen Tat Thanh University) ;
  • Chinh Van Dang (Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health) ;
  • Tinh Huu Ho (Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health) ;
  • Van Trong Phan (Faculty of Health, Tay Nguyen University) ;
  • Thang Van Dinh (Faculty of Public Health, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy) ;
  • Thang Phan (Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Emergency, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University) ;
  • Thi Anh Thu Dang (Institute for Community Health Research, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University)
  • Received : 2023.07.21
  • Accepted : 2023.11.08
  • Published : 2024.01.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to characterize mental health issues among Vietnamese healthcare workers (HCWs) and to identify related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 990 HCWs in 2021. Their mental health status was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Results: In total, 49.9%, 52.3%, and 29.8% of respondents were found to have depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model revealed that factors associated with increased anxiety scores included depression scores (β, 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.51) and stress scores (β, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.52). Factors associated with increased depression scores included being frontline HCWs (β, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.10 to 1.10), stress scores (β, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.56), and anxiety scores (β, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.47), while working experience was associated with reduced depression scores (β, -0.08; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.01). Factors associated with increased stress scores included working experience (β, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.16), personal protective equipment interference with daily activities (β, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.07 to 1.00), depression scores (β, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.59), and anxiety scores (β, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.50), while age was associated with reduced stress scores (β, -0.12; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.05). Conclusions: Specific interventions are necessary to enhance and promote the mental health of HCWs so they can successfully cope with the circumstances of the pandemic.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We thank the Institute of Public Health staff members in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for their organizational and logistical support from the first days of this study until the end.

References

  1. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020;382(8):727-733. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001017 
  2. World Health Organization. Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19); 2020 Jul 31 [cited 2023 Apr 11]. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen 
  3. Huang JZ, Han MF, Luo TD, Ren AK, Zhou XP. Mental health survey of medical staff in a tertiary infectious disease hospital for COVID-19. Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi 2020;38(3):192-195 (Chinese). https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn121094-20200219-00063 
  4. Zhang SX, Liu J, Afshar Jahanshahi A, Nawaser K, Yousefi A, Li J, et al. At the height of the storm: healthcare staff's health conditions and job satisfaction and their associated predictors during the epidemic peak of COVID-19. Brain Behav Immun 2020;87:144-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.010 
  5. Pappa S, Ntella V, Giannakas T, Giannakoulis VG, Papoutsi E, Katsaounou P. Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav Immun 2020;88:901-907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.026 
  6. Minh LH, Khoi Quan N, Le TN, Khanh PN, Huy NT. COVID-19 timeline of Vietnam: important milestones through four waves of the pandemic and lesson learned. Front Public Health 2021;9:709067. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.709067 
  7. Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health. COVID-19 update news, as of 6:00 p.m. September 1, 2021 [cited 2023 Apr 11]. Available from: https://vncdc.gov.vn/ban-tincap-nhat-covid-19-tinh-den-18h00-ngay-0192021-nd16476.html
  8. Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the depression anxiety stress scales, 2nd ed. Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia; 1995. 
  9. Tran TD, Tran T, Fisher J. Validation of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) 21 as a screening instrument for depression and anxiety in a rural community-based cohort of northern Vietnamese women. BMC Psychiatry 2013;13:24. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-13-24 
  10. Van BT. Mental health of health worker who participated in COVID-19 epidemic prevention/control at some hospitals in Hanoi, 2020. Vietnam Med J 2021;2(501):95-99 (Vietnamese). https://doi.org/10.51298/vmj.v501i2.505 
  11. Le Thi Ngoc A, Dang Van C, Nguyen Thanh P, Lewycka S, Van Nuil JI. Depression, anxiety, and stress among frontline health workers during the second wave of COVID-19 in southern Vietnam: a cross-sectional survey. PLOS Glob Public Health 2022;2(9):e0000823. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000823 
  12. Vietnam Ministry of Health. Morning of September 10: more than 1,120 severe COVID-19 cases are on ventilators and ECMO; Ho Chi Minh City mobilized 1,700 F0 people to participate in fighting the epidemic; 2021 Sep 10 [cited 2023 Apr 11]. Available from: https://moh.gov.vn/tin-lien-quan/-/asset_publisher/vjYyM7O9aWnX/content/sang-10-9-hon-1-120-ca-covid-19-nang-ang-tho-may-va-ecmo-tp-hcm-huy-ong-1-700-f0-khoi-tham-gia-chong-dich (Vietnamese). 
  13. Center for Diseases Control of Ho Chi Minh City. Information about the COVID-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City (updated on the morning of September 9, 2021) [cited 2023 Apr 11]. Available from: https://hcdc.vn/thong-tin-ve-dich-benh-covid19-tai-tphcm-cap-nhat-sang-ngay-0992021-6c53e1a8a5b4e9c89ae9fced9c8a5349.html (Vietnamese). 
  14. Liu S, Yang L, Zhang C, Xiang YT, Liu Z, Hu S, et al. Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(4):e17-e18. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30077-8 
  15. Huang J, Liu F, Teng Z, Chen J, Zhao J, Wang X, et al. Care for the psychological status of frontline medical staff fighting against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clin Infect Dis 2020;71(12):3268-3269. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa385 
  16. Senni M. COVID-19 experience in Bergamo, Italy. Eur Heart J 2020;41(19):1783-1784. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa279 
  17. Jalili M, Niroomand M, Hadavand F, Zeinali K, Fotouhi A. Burnout among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2021;94(6):1345-1352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01695-x 
  18. Kisely S, Warren N, McMahon L, Dalais C, Henry I, Siskind D. Occurrence, prevention, and management of the psychological effects of emerging virus outbreaks on healthcare workers: rapid review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2020;369:m1642. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1642 
  19. Chen Q, Liang M, Li Y, Guo J, Fei D, Wang L, et al. Mental health care for medical staff in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(4):e15-e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30078-X 
  20. Erschens R, Keifenheim KE, Herrmann-Werner A, Loda T, Schwille-Kiuntke J, Bugaj TJ, et al. Professional burnout among medical students: systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Med Teach 2019;41(2):172-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1457213 
  21. Rotenstein LS, Torre M, Ramos MA, Rosales RC, Guille C, Sen S, et al. Prevalence of burnout among physicians: a systematic review. JAMA 2018;320(11):1131-1150. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.12777 
  22. Tan BY, Chew NW, Lee GK, Jing M, Goh Y, Yeo LL, et al. Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in Singapore. Ann Intern Med 2020;173(4):317-320. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1083 
  23. Liem A, Wang C, Wariyanti Y, Latkin CA, Hall BJ. The neglected health of international migrant workers in the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(4):e20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30076-6 
  24. Jemal K, Deriba BS, Geleta TA, Tesema M, Awol M, Mengistu E, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021;17:1363-1373. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S306240 
  25. Vyas KJ, Delaney EM, Webb-Murphy JA, Johnston SL. Psychological impact of deploying in support of the U.S. response to Ebola: a systematic review and meta-analysis of past outbreaks. Mil Med 2016;181(11):e1515-e1531. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00473 
  26. Lu W, Wang H, Lin Y, Li L. Psychological status of medical workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Psychiatry Res 2020;288:112936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112936 
  27. Tiete J, Guatteri M, Lachaux A, Matossian A, Hougardy JM, Loas G, et al. Mental health outcomes in healthcare workers in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 care units: a cross-sectional survey in Belgium. Front Psychol 2021;11:612241. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.612241 
  28. Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, Tan Y, Xu L, Ho CS, et al. Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17(5):1729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729 
  29. Davey SL, Lee BJ, Robbins T, Randeva H, Thake CD. Heat stress and PPE during COVID-19: impact on healthcare workers' performance, safety and well-being in NHS settings. J Hosp Infect 2021;108:185-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.11.027 
  30. Loibner M, Hagauer S, Schwantzer G, Berghold A, Zatloukal K. Limiting factors for wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in a health care environment evaluated in a randomised study. PLoS One 2019;14(1):e0210775. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210775 
  31. Flouris AD, Dinas PC, Ioannou LG, Nybo L, Havenith G, Kenny GP, et al. Workers' health and productivity under occupational heat strain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Planet Health 2018;2(12):e521-e531. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30237-7 
  32. Carter S, Field E, Oppermann E, Brearley M. The impact of perceived heat stress symptoms on work-related tasks and social factors: a cross-sectional survey of Australia's Monsoonal North. Appl Ergon 2020;82:102918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102918 
  33. Ong JJ, Bharatendu C, Goh Y, Tang JZ, Sooi KW, Tan YL, et al. Headaches associated with personal protective equipment - a cross-sectional study among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19. Headache 2020;60(5):864-877. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13811 
  34. Bohlken J, Schomig F, Lemke MR, Pumberger M, Riedel-Heller SG. COVID-19 pandemic: stress experience of healthcare workers - a short current review. Psychiatr Prax 2020;47(4):190-197 (German). https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1159-5551 
  35. Si MY, Su XY, Jiang Y, Wang WJ, Gu XF, Ma L, et al. Psychological impact of COVID-19 on medical care workers in China. Infect Dis Poverty 2020;9(1):113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-020-00724-0 
  36. Munawar K, Choudhry FR. Exploring stress coping strategies of frontline emergency health workers dealing Covid-19 in Pakistan: a qualitative inquiry. Am J Infect Control 2021;49(3):286-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.06.214 
  37. Nguyen NP, Le DD, Colebunders R, Siewe Fodjo JN, Tran TD, Vo TV. Stress and associated factors among frontline healthcare workers in the COVID-19 epicenter of Da Nang City, Vietnam. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18(14):7378. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147378