Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has taken a significant toll on people worldwide, and in particular, on the health care workers (HCWs) who have worked on the frontlines in the fight against the pandemic. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related factors in HCWs in the era of COVID-19.
Methods:
This cross-sectional survey study was conducted between September 15, and October 15, 2020, among HCWs in Turkey. The survey consisted of self-administered questionnaires, which included questions about sociodemographic variables, experiences caring for patients with COVID-19, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), a trauma screening tool. The online survey was completed by 1833 HCWs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of PTSD.
Results:
The mean age of the participants was 32.7±7.0 years; 81.9% were physicians, and 56.5% were female. The rates of COVID-19 history in the respondents, a family member, or a coworker were 13.6%, 32.3%, and 12.6%, respectively. Among the HCWs who participated, 39.9% met the criteria for PTSD. Compared with the physicians, the nonphysician HCWs had a higher rate of PTSD (49.5% vs. 36%) (P