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COVID-19-induced Anxiety and Depression among Two Vulnerable Groups: Medical Staff and Pregnant Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Nursing Research Center, Department of Midwifery, Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Instructor, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran

3 Instructor, Nursing Research Center, Department of Midwifery, Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

5 Associate Professor, Nursing Research Center, Department of Midwifery, Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

6 Student Research Committee, Razi School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

7 Associate Professor, Family, Reproductive Health and Population Research Center, Counselling in Midwifery Department, Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Considering the priority of supporting vulnerable groups when fighting against COVID-19, the present study aimed to evaluate the levels of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in two vulnerable groups: medical staff and pregnant women.
Methods: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study performed on 140 treatment staff and 338 pregnant women. The questionnaire used in this study includes demographic characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale- modified. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to identify the effect of variables on anxiety and depression.
Results: Among the staff, 88.6% were women. The mean and standard deviation of their COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression were 12.76 ± 1.78 and 7.75 ± 2.27, respectively. The staff exhibited high levels of abnormal anxiety, with 92.9% reporting symptoms. In contrast, the prevalence of abnormal depression among the staff was lower, with only 11.4% reporting symptoms. Marital status (p=0.05) and exercise (p=0.03) significantly affected the covid-19-induced depression of the medical staff. The mean and standard deviation of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in pregnant women were 10.53 ± 2.04 and 11.15 ± 2.09, respectively, and these scores were significantly different compared to the medical staff groups.
Conclusion: Vulnerable groups had high levels of anxiety and depression associated with COVID-19. Nurses prioritized psychological programs targeting anxiety reduction, while pregnant women prioritized psychological programs addressing depression reduction.

Keywords

References
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Sadra Medical Journal
Volume 11, Issue 3
July 2023
Pages 305-320
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