Psychological distress experienced by physicians and nurses at a tertiary care center in Lebanon during the COVID-19 outbreak

Maya Bizri, Ghida Kassir, Hani Tamim, Firas Kobeissy, Samer El Hayek, Maya Bizri, Ghida Kassir, Hani Tamim, Firas Kobeissy, Samer El Hayek

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant mental health toll on healthcare workers in Lebanon. We examined pandemic-related psychological distress among healthcare workers in a tertiary care medical center. One hundred and fifty participants completed an online questionnaire. About half showed a high risk of acute distress (58.7%) on the GHQ-28, while most (89.3%) scored low/moderate stress on the PSS-10. The IES-R revealed concern for post-traumatic stress in one-third of participants, significantly in nurses (p = 0.008) and those living with vulnerable individuals (p = 0.030). Mental health history did not increase the risk. Our findings highlight the need for early targeted interventions during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Lebanon; healthcare workers; mental health; psychological distress.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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