Stresses and consequences among physicians of Bangladesh during COVID-19 pandemic: an assessment of experience and perception.
Background: Health providers working in non-COVID hospitals in Bangladesh may be at an increased risk of infection with the new coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to health providers working in COVID-dedicated hospitals due to lower health security measures. Consequently, health practitioners working at such hospitals may be the most vulnerable health group to stress-related problems and mental illness. To our knowledge, there is no study assessing stress-related problems in this particular population and how this group compares to those working in COVID-dedicated units in terms of pandemic-related stress.
Methods: An online survey was carried out among 247 medical doctors from Bangladesh (101 females and 146 males). We report descriptive statistics and several group comparisons.
Results: The overall stress level among participants was moderated. There were no statistically significant differences in pandemic-related stress between those working in COVID units and those working in regular units. Most participants knew both co-workers and people close to them who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Half of the participants knew someone close to them who had died from COVID-19and 24.7% had got infected themselves.
Conclusions: Medical doctors working in Bangladesh experience significant pandemic-related stress regardless of whether they work in COVID-dedicated units or regular units. Our data highlights the importance of detecting stress in health professionals and developing strategies that aim at reducing the same.
Posted 12 Jan, 2021
Stresses and consequences among physicians of Bangladesh during COVID-19 pandemic: an assessment of experience and perception.
Posted 12 Jan, 2021
Background: Health providers working in non-COVID hospitals in Bangladesh may be at an increased risk of infection with the new coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to health providers working in COVID-dedicated hospitals due to lower health security measures. Consequently, health practitioners working at such hospitals may be the most vulnerable health group to stress-related problems and mental illness. To our knowledge, there is no study assessing stress-related problems in this particular population and how this group compares to those working in COVID-dedicated units in terms of pandemic-related stress.
Methods: An online survey was carried out among 247 medical doctors from Bangladesh (101 females and 146 males). We report descriptive statistics and several group comparisons.
Results: The overall stress level among participants was moderated. There were no statistically significant differences in pandemic-related stress between those working in COVID units and those working in regular units. Most participants knew both co-workers and people close to them who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Half of the participants knew someone close to them who had died from COVID-19and 24.7% had got infected themselves.
Conclusions: Medical doctors working in Bangladesh experience significant pandemic-related stress regardless of whether they work in COVID-dedicated units or regular units. Our data highlights the importance of detecting stress in health professionals and developing strategies that aim at reducing the same.