Mental Health and Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes Among Frontline Health Workers During the Peak of COVID-19 Outbreak in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose

Mental health is an important component of the protection strategy for healthcare workers (HCWs). However, it has not been well described in Vietnam during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to measure the psychological distress and health-related quality-of-life among frontline healthcare workers during the peak of the outbreak in Vietnam.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey on 173 health workers at two national tertiary hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam from March to April 2020. The psychological distress was measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21), Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). EQ-5D-5L was used to determine the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes.

Results

Among 173 HCWs, the proportion of reported depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress was 20.2%, 33.5%, and 12.7%, respectively. The median EQ-5D-5L index score was 0.93 (IQR=0.85–0.94), and the anxiety/depression aspect had the highest reported problems. The most COVID-19-specific concerns among frontline HCWs were the reduction of income (59%) and the increase of living costs (54.3%). HCWs working in the COVID-19-designated hospital had a significantly higher rate of mental health problems and had a lower HRQoL outcome than those working in non-COVID-19-designated hospitals. Other factors associated with psychological distress and sleep problems include age, job title, income, chronic diseases status, and years of working in healthcare settings. HCWs who were ≥30 years old, had higher working years, had higher incomes, and had mental health and sleep problems were more likely to have lower HRQoL scores.

Conclusion

We reported a moderate rate of psychological distress and lower HRQoL outcomes among frontline HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam. Various factors were found to be associated with mental health and HRQoL that might be useful for implementing appropriate interventions for HCWs in low-resource settings.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• mental health
• psychological distress
• health-related quality-of-life
• health workers

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the health workers who participated in the study.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, CDD. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions, for example, their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and was approved by the Ethical Committee of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital. All participants were provided informed consent.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The authors did not receive any financial support for the survey work or for publication of the article.