Occupational stress, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in colombian physicians

Introduction. Epidemics can cause anxiety in the general population and health professionals. The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus is no exception. This study’s objective is to identify symptoms of work-related stress, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in physicians, as well as to discover their relation with the territorial body in which they work. Methodology: This is a cross-cutting study that explored the symptoms and perceptions of Colombian physicians forced to quarantine, who exercised their profession in March, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Havingprovided informed consent anonymously and voluntarily, participants completed a virtual form with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and Fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) scale. Participants in which they practiced. Logistic regression between the territorial body (which was taken as an independent variable here) and symptoms of anxiety, work-related stress and fear of COVID-19 (which, in this case, were taken as dependent variables) was performed. Results: Five hundred and thirty-one general physicians participated, with an average age of 30. Seventy-three point three percent practiced in a capital municipality. One third of the surveyed physicians presented mild work-related stress, while 6% presented high or severe work-related stress, without differences between groups (p < 0.05). Symptoms of anxiety were found in 72.9% of the surveyed physicians, more frequently among those who practiced in capitals (p = 0.044). Thirty-seven point one percent presented symptoms of fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S). No relation was observed in the logistic regression. Discussion: Psychosocial and psychosomatic factors associated with fear are the common denominators of symptoms of anxiety and work-related stress during pandemics. Conclusion: Seven of every ten participants presented symptoms of anxiety or work-related stress, while four presented symptoms of FCV-19S. No relation was observed with the municipalities in which they worked.

• Autores: Monterrosa-Castro, Álvaro; Dávila-Ruiz, Raúl; MejíaMantilla, Alexa; Contreras-Saldarriaga, Jorge; Mercado-Lara, María; Flores-Monterrosa, Chabeli
• Tipo de recurso: Article of journal
• Fecha de publicación: 2020
• Institución: Universidad de Cartagena
• Repositorio: Repositorio Universidad de Cartagena
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.unicartagena.edu.co:11227/20062
• Acceso en línea: https://hdl.handle.net/11227/20062
• Palabra clave: 3. Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud; Coronavirus Infection; General Practitioners; Occupational Stress; Anxiety Disorders; Fear; Epidemics; Infecciones por Coronavirus; Médicos Generales; Estrés Laboral; Trastornos de Ansiedad; Miedo; Epidemias; Infecção por Coronavírus; Clínicos Gerais; Estresse Ocupacional; Transtornos de Ansiedade; Medo; Epidemias; ODS 3: Salud y bienestar. Garantizar una vida sana y promover el bienestar de todos a todas las edades
• Rights: openAccess
• License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/