Comparison of Mental Health of Nurses and General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

Hosseini, Seyedeh Asma; Hosseini Sharif, Seyedeh Zahra

doi:10.30491/tm.2021.312861.1396

Comparison of Mental Health of Nurses and General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Seyedeh Asma Hosseini ¹

Seyedeh Zahra Hosseini Sharif ²

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

² Master of clinical psychology, Tehran, Iran.

10.30491/tm.2021.312861.1396

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 crisis can affect the mental health of individuals. Anxiety and depression are two of many consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate the anxiety and depression of nurses and the general population during the COVID -19 pandemic in Iran.
Methods: The statistical population was all of the Tehran general population, and nurses were working in the Tehran province of Iran. A total of 2060 general population and 516 nurses completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7).
Results: The anxiety (8.73± 4.52) and depression (9.03±5.87) revealed that the anxiety and depression of nurses were mild. The anxiety (7.75±4.96) and depression (8.33±6.33) showed that the anxiety and depression of general participants were mild. The mean of anxiety in nurses was significantly higher than the general population (P=0.021). Also, the average anxiety in nurses was significantly higher than the general population (P=0.031).
Conclusion: The anxiety and depression of emergency nurses are higher than the general population. It means they need more attention in supportive programs such as mental health-promoting interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Mental Health

General Population

Nurses

COVID-19

Anxiety

Depression