Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression, and Perceived Stigma in Healthcare Workers in Nepal During Later Phase of First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

ABSTRACT

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has caused discrimination and social stigma among healthcare workers (HCW) causing psychological problems due to prolonged work shifts, uncertain pay, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), added fear of infection to self or family, and so on. This online survey is directed towards the determination of anxiety, depression, and stigma among healthcare providers in Nepal during the later phase of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods Anxiety and depression were assessed using standard Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Data for the survey were collected from January 10, 2021, to February 6, 2021, and analyzed using Stata 15 (College Station, TX StataCorp LLC). Results A total of 213 participants were enrolled in the study from different parts of Nepal and their mean age was 29.90±6.43 years. The prevalence of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers was 46.95% and 41.31%, respectively. A bidirectional relationship was present between GAD-7 and PHQ-9 score interpretation. About 57% of HCW experienced some form of perceived stigmatization due to COVID-19. Frontline HCW were six times more likely to be stigmatized compared to non-front line HCWs and diagnosis of COVID-19 was associated with three times higher odds of facing perceived stigmatization. Conclusion A significant number of HCW experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression during the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline HCW who were infected experienced a higher level of stigma.