Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the most stressful
events of recent times. Among the population, healthcare professionals
who treat COVID-19 patients are most likely to develop psychological
distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The present study
thus aimed to investigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19
outbreak on Italian healthcare workers. Methods: The responses of 145
healthcare workers (72 medical doctors and 73 nurses) were included in
the final dataset. Participants were asked to provide sociodemographic
and clinical information, and to complete: 1) quality of life and
health-related Visual Analogue Scales, 2) State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory-Form Y1, 3) Beck Depression Inventory, and 4) PTSD Checklist
for DSM-5. Results: A comparison between healthcare professionals
working in COVID-19 wards and other units revealed that the former
reported higher levels of both depressive symptoms and PTSS. Moreover,
the results of regression analyses showed that in healthcare
professionals working with COVID-19 patients, gender and marital status,
and gender and age significantly predicted depressive symptoms and PTSS,
respectively. Particularly, being female and not in a relationship were
found to be associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms,
whereas being female and older were found to be related to higher levels
of PTSS. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that specific
predisposing factors could identify healthcare workers who are at high
risk of developing mental health symptoms when faced with COVID-19
patients.