Ann Surg 2021 Jan 22. Epub 2021 Jan 22.
Department of Urology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore Department of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore Department of Urology, CiptoMangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia General Surgery and Digestive System Service, Alfredo Espinosa Hospital, Urduliz, Vizcaya, Spain Colorectal Unit, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania, Italy Department of Urology, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore Wellcome EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS), University College London, London, United Kingdom Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Brazil; BP-a Beneficencia Portuguesa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Department of Urology, Kasturba Medical College Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Eastern Health and Monash University Eastern Health Clinical School, Box Hill, VIC, Australia Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy SH Ho Urology Center, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Department of Urology, Marmara University Research and Training Hospital, Turkey Conselleria de Sanidad Universal y salud Publica, Spain Hospital Universitario Parc Taulí Sabadell, Spain Escola Paulista de Medicina - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Unit of Urological Robotic Surgery and Renal Transplantation, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy Department of Urology, Campus Biomedico University of Rome, Italy Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain Division of Urology, University Health Network, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada Macquarie University Hospital and Royal North Shore Hospital, Department of Urology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Department of Urology- Luzerner Kantonsspital- Luzern, CH, Switzerland Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS).
Objective: To assess the degree of psychological impact among surgical providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Summary Background Data: The COVID-19 pandemic has extensively impacted global healthcare systems. We hypothesized that the degree of psychological impact would be higher for surgical providers deployed for COVID-19 work, certain surgical specialties, and for those who knew of someone diagnosed with, or who died, of COVID-19.
Methods: We conducted a global web-based survey to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19. The primary outcomes were the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scores.
Results: 4283 participants from 101 countries responded. 32.8%, 30.8%, 25.9% and 24.0% screened positive for depression, anxiety, stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) respectively. Respondents who knew someone who died of COVID-19 were more likely to screen positive for depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD (OR 1.3, 1,6, 1.4, 1.7 respectively, all p < 0.05). Respondents who knew of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 were more likely to screen positive for depression, stress and PTSD (OR 1.2, 1.2 and 1.3 respectively, all p < 0.05). Surgical specialities that operated in the Head and Neck region had higher psychological distress among its surgeons. Deployment for COVID-19-related work was not associated with increased psychological distress.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic may have a mental health legacy outlasting its course. The long-term impact of this ongoing traumatic event underscores the importance of longitudinal mental health care for healthcare personnel, with particular attention to those who know of someone diagnosed with, or who died of COVID-19.