Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Nepali Health Care Workers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey

Authors

  • Ishwor Sharma Division of Nephrology, University at Buffalo, New York, United States of America
  • Anurag Misra Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, West Midlands, United Kingdom
  • Bipin Kumar Shrestha Department of Physiology, Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Arun Kumar Koirala School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Nepal
  • Anita Banjade Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Nepal
  • Prakash Banjade Emergency Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Male, Maldives

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.6747

Keywords:

anxiety, COVID-19, depression, mental health, stress

Abstract

Introduction: Studies among health care workers from different part of world during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic have reported substantial impact on their physical, mental and emotional well-being. This study measured the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the mental health of Nepali healthcare workers in different parts of the world during the pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out from December 25, 2020 to Jan 25, 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (reference number: 372). Online questionnaire including demographic profiles and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 instrument were sent to Nepali healthcare workers around the world through social media apps using convenience sampling. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel for Mac version 16.49 and analysed.

Results: Among 208 who participated in the study, 62 (30%) participants were positive for anxiety, 47 (22.5%) for depression and 25 (12%) for stress. Higher prevalence of depression 18 (30%) and stress 10 (17%) was found in nurses compared to paramedics, among whom depression was seen in 5 (20%) and stress in 4 (16%). Among doctors, depression was found in 24 (19%) and stress in 11 (9%).

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a high proportion of healthcare workers were suffering from depression, anxiety and stress. Our findings are similar to the data from other national and international studies.

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Published

2021-07-01

How to Cite

Sharma, I., Misra, A. ., Kumar Shrestha, B., Kumar Koirala, A., Banjade, A., & Banjade, P. (2021). Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Nepali Health Care Workers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 59(238), 580–584. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.6747

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 238 (2021): JNMA: Published Monthly

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Ishwor Sharma, Anurag Misra, Bipin Kumar Shrestha, Arun Kumar Koirala, Anita Banjade, Prakash Banjade

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