JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The death toll of COVID-19 topped 170,000 in Europe by the end of May 2020. Covid-19 has caused an immense psychological burden on the population, especially doctors and nurses were faced with a high infection risk and increased workload.

Objective:

To compare the mental health of medical professionals with non-medical professionals in different European countries during COVID-19, assuming that medical professionals, particularly those exposed to COVID-19 at work, would have higher scores in depression, anxiety and stress, as well as to determine their main stressors and most frequently used coping strategies during the crisis.

Methods:

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted during peak COVID-19 months in eight European countries. The questionnaire included demographic data and whether the participants were exposed to COVID-19 at work or not. Mental health was assessed via the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales (DASS-21). A 12-item checklist on preferred coping strategies and another 23-item questionnaire on major stressors was filled by the medical professionals.

Results:

The sample (N=609) consisted of 189 doctors, 165 nurses and 255 non-medical professionals. Participants from France and the UK were more often assigned to the group with severe/extremely severe depression, anxiety and stress on DASS-21. Non-medical professionals had significantly higher scores for depression and anxiety. No significant link was reported between direct contact with COVID-19 patients at work and anxiety, depression or stress among medical professionals. ´Uncertainty about when the epidemic will be under control´ was the most stressful aspect among healthcare professionals while ´taking protective measures´” was the most frequently used coping strategy among all participants.

Conclusions:

COVID-19 poses a major challenge to the mental health of the participants as a considerable proportion of them showed high values for depression, anxiety and stress. Even though the medical professionals showed less mental stress than the non-medical professionals, sufficient help should be offered to all occupational groups with an emphasis on effective coping strategies.