Post-traumatic stress disorder among tunisian healthcare professionals facing the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19)

Abstract

Introduction

The new coronavirus has spread rapidly across the planet confining entire populations, filling hospitals overwhelmed by massive arrivals of patients This new health situation was traumatic especially for health-professionals

Objectives

To study the prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder, among health-workers.

Methods

Our study was descriptive and analytical cross-sectional, between May until June 2020. An anonymous online-survey was sent to collect those parameters Sociodemographic-information Physical symptoms The existence of contact with a suspected case The need for quarantine The stressful event The state of mental health, using: PCL-5: 20 items which measures the 20 symptoms of post-traumatic stress-disorder according to DSM-5. PSQI: 9 questions to see the existence or not of a disturbance in sleep

Results

125 participants: 28 university-hospital doctors, 55 residents, 5 interns, 4 specialist-doctors, 2 general-practitioners, 14 nurses, 14 senior-technicians, 2 midwives and a pharmacist. The average seniority at the job was 6 years. Two factors were the most stressful: The characteristics of this pandemic 37.6% The fear of caching the virus and transmit it to their families: 37.6%. 42.4% of participants presented a post-traumatic stress disorder. 3 parameters were correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder: young age, having children (p = 0.007) and fewer years of professional-experience. This pandemic altered the quality of sleep of caregivers, 62.4% of them had a bad quality of sleep. The bad sleepers developed more post-traumatic stress disorder

Conclusions

This health crisis had a major impact on the mental health of our heroes that is why we should provide them with the necessary psychological support.