Perception of mental health and professional quality of life in Tunisian doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: few research studies about mental health problems in medical staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported. The Aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of anxiety and insomnia, affecting the professional quality of life of physicians during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: doctors answered an online questionnaire regarding their perception of insomnia, anxiety and professional quality of life during COVID-19 pandemic with psychological parameters including the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Professional quality of life version 5 (ProQOL5). RESULTS: anxiety was found in 64.8% of the participants. This disorder was respectively moderate and severe in 12.4% and 6.7% of cases. Insomnia was found in 51.4% of respondents, 29.5% of whom worked in the COVID circuit (p=0.17). Insomnia was assessed as mild, moderate and severe in respectively 38.1%, 11.4% and 1.9% of cases. Compassion satisfaction was moderate in 72.4 of cases and high in 24.8% of cases. The entire population with low CS belonged to the 20-29 age group (p=0.019). Compassion satisfaction was statistically higher in married people (32.7%) (p=0.004). This entity varied significantly with occupational grade (p=0.003), seniority in grade (p=0.011) and working in the private health sector (p=0.046). Burnout was moderate in 73.3% and low in 26.7% of cases. Burnout was significantly higher among single people (p=0.03) and statistically altered in the staff working in the COVID unit (p=0.028). Secondary traumatic disorder was above moderate in 69.6%. CONCLUSION: a high prevalence of psychological symptoms was found among doctors during COVID-19. Medical health workers are in need of health protection and adequate working conditions.

A national survey of occupational exposures in Tunisia.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of occupational exposures allows to guide preventive strategies and to suggest adequate solutions. AIM: Identify occupational exposures and constrains among workers of private sector in Tunisia. METHODS: A descriptive study including all companies of the private sector who are adhering to a service of occupational health of 17 Tunisian governorates. The survey was exhaustive for the services having less than 500 companies and by sampling for the services with more than 500.The data collection was based on data sheet completed by the occupational physician. RESULTS: This investigation concerned 1653 companies employing 161 517 employees. The industrial sector represented 52.8 %.Small and medium-sized enterprises represented 92.6 % of the studied companies. Companies having a committee of Health and Safety at work represented 16.82 % and 22.14 % had a safety officer. Posturales constraints are the most represented exposures (56%) followed by gestural constraints (27%). Heavy lifting concerned 17% of workers. Exposure to noise represented the third professional nuisance, 23% of employees are exposed. The employees exposed to organic solvents were among 16695 (10.34 %), distributed on 685 companies. CONCLUSION: This study allowed us to identify and to rank the professional exposures and constrains in the Tunisian private sector. This could lead to improving targeted strategies of prevention occupational risks.