Suicide risk and associated factors in healthcare workers seeking psychological support during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Study Flowchart.

Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics and study variables associated with suicide risk in health workers.

			Without suicide risk	With suicide risk	Statistics
	Mean ± SD	f (%)	f (%)	f (%)	p value	χ2	t
Age	35 ± 8.4		35.8±8.5	34.4±8.3	.041*	-	2.045
Gender
Female		515 (82.7)	256 (41.0)	259 (41.5)	.192	3.298	-
Male		106 (17)	59 (11.2)	47 (7.5)
Other		2 (.3)	0	2 (.3)
Work
Yes		607 (97.4)	309	298	.321	1.121	-
No		16 (2.6)	6	10
Length of experience	8.8 ± 7.2		9.28±7.4	8.41±7	.133	-	1.503
Occupation
Physician		182 (29.2)	86 (47.3)	96 (52.7)	<0.001**	21.612	-
Nurses		158 (25.4)	60 (38)	98 (62)
Psychologists		131 (21)	83 (63.4)	48 (36.6)
Administrative staff		59 (9.5)	33 (55.9)	26 (44.1)
Others		93 (14.9)	53 (57)	40 (43)
Education
Basic education		39 (6.3)	19	20	.884	.246	-
Higher education		550 (88.3)	280	270
Other		34 (5.5)	16	18
Psychological treatment
Yes		92 (14.8)	43	49	.431	.658	-
No		530 (85.1)	272	258
Medication use
Yes		98 (15.7)	29	69	<.001**	20.624	-
No		524 (84.1)	286	238
Suicide attempt in the past three months
Yes		11 (1.8)	0	11	<.001**	11.490	-
No		611 (98.1)	315	296
Professional quality of life
ProQOL CS	38.7±6.7		40.5±5.9	36.8±6.9	<.001**	-	7.174
ProQOL BO	28.2±5.3		26.1±4.5	30.3±5.2	<.001**	-	−10.659
ProQOL STS	24.7±6.9		21.8±5.9	27.5±6.6	<.001**	-	−11.176
Sleep quality
Sleep quality score	11.0±4.0		9.4±3.7	12.6±3.5	<.001**	-	−10.680
Depression
CES-D DA	6.5±5.5		3.4±3.6	9.6±5.3	<.001**	-	−16.879
CES-D PA	4.4±3.2		5.8±3.2	3.0±2.4	<.001**	-	11.828
CES-D EI	12.2±9.2		6.9±6.1	17.6±8.8	<.001**	-	−17.492
CES-D S	9.8±6.2		6.6±5.2	13.1±5.5	<.001**	-	−15.176
CES-D EW	4.4±2.7		4.3±2.9	4.5±2.5	0.33	-	−.973
CES-D DA	7.1±5.9		4.0±4.1	10.2±5.8	<.001**	-	−15.190

Abbreviations. CS=Compassion Satisfaction; BO=Burnout; STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress; DA=Depressed Affect; PA=Positive Affect; EI=Emotional Insecurity and Interpersonal Problems; S=Somatization; EW=Emotional Well-being; DA=Delayed Activity.

*p<.05. ** p<.001.

Table 2. Psychological variables by occupation.

	Physicians	Nurses	Psychologists	Administrative Staff	Other	p value	χ2
	f (%)	f (%)	f (%)	f (%)	f (%)
Psychological treatment
Yes	32 (5.1)	10 (1.6)	27 (4.3)	9 (1.4)	14 (2.2)	.009*	13.496
No	150 (24.1)	147 (23.6)	104 (16.7)	50 (8.0)	79 (12.7)
Are you on medication?
Yes	41 (6.5)	12 (1.9)	23 (3.6)	13 (2.0)	9 (1.4)	.001*	18.733
No	141 (22.6)	145 (23.3)	108 (17.3)	46 (7.3)	84 (13.5)
Suicide attempt
Yes	2 (.3)	8 (1.2)	1 (.1)	0	0	.007*	13.972
No	180 (28.9)	149 (23.9)	130 (20.9)	59 (11.0)	93 (14.9)

*p<.05. ** p<.001.

Table 3. Bivariate correlation between psychological and sociodemographic variables.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
1. Suicide risk	-
2. Age	−.116**	-
3. Length of experience	−.108**	.744**	-
4. ProQOL CS	−.323**	.140**	.135**	-
5. ProQOL BO	.481**	−.137**	−.081*	−.619**	-
6. ProQOL STS	.499**	−.027	.023	−.314**	.591**	-
7. Sleep quality	.509**	.068	.039	−.127**	.285**	.404**	-
8. CES-D DA	.694**	−.148**	−.120**	−.310**	.479**	.516**	.488**	-
9. CES-D PA	−.523**	.084*	−082**	.397**	−.446*	−.377**	−.431**	−.560**	-
10. CES-D EI	.697**	−.136**	−.110**	−.351**	.533**	.584**	.518**	.868**	−.554**	-
11. CES-D S	.638**	−.121**	−.088*	−.267*	.448**	.516**	.645**	.759**	−.508**	−772**	-
12. CES-D EW	.061	−.001	−.025	.089*	.031	.065	.066	.089*	.194**	.144**	.175**	-
13. CES-D DA	.647**	−.094*	−.066	−.331**	.489**	.536**	.489**	.816**	−.537**	−821**	.772**	.133**	-

Abbreviations. ProQOL= Professional Quality of Life; CS=Compassion Satisfaction; BO=Burnout; STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress; CES-D=Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; DA=Depressed affect; PA=Positive Affect; EI=Emotional Insecurity and Interpersonal Problems; S=Somatization; EW=Emotional Well-being; DA=Delayed Activity.

*p<.05. ** p<.001.

Table 4. Association between sociodemographic and psychological variables.

	ProQOL Mean ± SD			Sleep quality Mean ± SD	Depression Mean ± SD
Variables	CS	BO	STS		DA	PA	EI	S	EW	DA
Gender
Female	38.7±6.5	28.2±5.1	24.9±6.9	11.1±4	6.8±5.5	4.3±3.1	12.7±9.2	10.2±6.2	4.4±2.7	7.3±5.9
Male	38.7±7.3	28±5.8	23.3±6.7	10.1±4	4.9±5.1	5±3.6	9.7±8.7	7.9±5.8	4.2±2.7	5.6±5.4
Other	32±2.8	37±2.8	29±7	14±1.4	15.5±3.5	1±0	28.5±7.7	15.5±6.3	4±0	14.5±7.7
p value	.366	.063	.071	.043*	<.001**	.042*	.001*	.001*	.716	.006*
Employed
Yes	38.8±6.5	28.2±5.3	24.6±6.8	11±4	6.4±5.4	4.5±3.2	12.1±9.1	9.8±6.2	4.4±2.7	7±5.8
No	33.5±9.3	29.8±5	26.7±9.2	11.6±3.7	9±6.5	2.8±2.2	15.6±12.2	11.2±6.9	4.5±2.2	10.1±7.5
p value	.002*	.216	.231	.569	.063	.038*	.133	.372	.854	.036*
Occupation
Physician	37.4±6.7	30±5.3	25.5±6.6	11±3.8	6.7±5.3	4.4±3.2	12.4±8.7	10.2±5.8	4.3±2.5	7.2±5.6
Nurse	38.4±6.6	28.7±5.1	26.7±6.9	11.4±4.1	7.9±5.7	3.5±2.5	14.4±9.7	11.2±6.5	4±2.6	8.5±6.2
Psychologists	40.5±6	25.7±4.9	20.4±5.6	9.8±3.7	4.6±4.9	5.2±3.4	9.1±8.3	7.9±6	5±2.8	5.2±5.3
Administrative staff	38.4±6.5	27.6±4.8	26±6.2	12.1±4.3	5.9±5.3	4.5±3.2	12±9.4	10±6.4	4±2.7	7±6.1
Other	39.3±7.2	27.8±4.9	24.6±7	11.1±4.1	6.6±5.7	5±3.3	12.5±9.4	9.4±6.2	4.5±3	7.1±6
p value	.001*	<.001**	<.001**	.002*	<.001**	<.001**	<.001**	<.001**	.032*	<.001**
Education
Basic education	37±8.1	28.6±4.7	25.1±8.4	12.5±3.8	7.7±6.5	3.7±3.3	13.5±10.5	10.6±7.6	4.2±2.9	9±6.7
Higher education	38.9±6.5	28.1±5.4	24.5±6.8	10.9±4	6.4±5.4	4.5±3.2	12.1±9.1	9.7±6.2	4.4±2.7	6.9±5.8
Other	37.1±6.9	29±4	26.7±6.1	11.1±3.4	6.9±5.9	4.4±3	13.1±9.2	10.3±6	3.8±2.5	7.6±5.5
p value	.087	.564	.192	.045*	.297	.322	.552	.643	.375	.086
Psychological treatment
Yes	38.5±6.6	27.7±4.8	24.6±6.7	11.5±4.2	6.2±5.4	4.6±3	11.7±9.4	10±6.5	4.6±2.7	7±6.3
No	38.7±6.7	28.3±5.4	24.7±6.9	10.9±4	6.5±5.5	4.4±3.2	12.3±9.2	9.8±6.2	4.4±2.7	7.1±5.8
p value	.839	.350	.876	.155	.630	.625	.575	.786	.424	.949
Are you on medication?
Yes	37.7±6.8	29.7±5.5	27±7.4	13.5±3.8	8.6±5.6	3.6±2.9	16.4±9.4	13.3±5.7	4.9±2.4	10.4±6.2
No	38.9±6.6	27.9±5.2	24.2±6.7	10.5±3.9	6.1±5.4	4.6±3.2	11.4±9	9.2±6.1	4.3±2.8	6.5±5.6
p value	.130	.002*	<.001**	<.001**	<.001**	.004	<.001**	<.001**	.047*	<.001**
Suicide attempt
Yes	32.2±9.6	30.9±5.8	28.1±9.4	14.1±4.3	16.1±4.1	2±2.7	29.4±9.5	19.2±7.2	6.5±2.5	17±6.2
No	38.8±6.6	28.2±5.3	24.6±6.8	10.9±4	6.3±5.3	4.5±3.2	11.9±8.9	9.6±6.1	4.4±2.7	6.9±5.7
p value	.027*	.096	.094	.009*	<.001**	.013*	<.001**	<.001**	.015*	<.001**

Abbreviations. CS=Compassion Satisfaction; BO=Burnout; STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress; DA=Depressed Affect; PA=Positive Affect; EI=Emotional Insecurity and Interpersonal Problems; S=Somatization; EW=Emotional Well-being; DA=Delayed Activity.

*p<.05. ** p<.001.

Table 5. Logistic regression analysis of suicidal risk in healthcare workers.

				95% CI
Model^a	B	OR	p	Lower limit	Upper limit
ProQOL STS	.045	1.046	.018*	1.008	1.086
CES-D DA	.107	1.112	.005*	1.033	1.198
CES-D PA	−.117	.890	.004*	.821	.964
CES-D EI	.094	1.098	<.001**	1.046	1.152
Medication use	−.646	.524	.029*	.294	.035

*p<.05. ** p<.001.