COVID-19 in Wuhan: Immediate Psychological Impact on 5062 Health Workers

Zhou Zhu; Shabei Xu; Hui Wang; Zheng Liu; Jianhong Wu; Guo Li; Jinfeng Miao; Chenyan Zhang; Yuan Yang; Wenzhe Sun; Suiqiang Zhu; Yebin Fan; Junbo Hu; Jihong Liu; Wei Wang

Consistent with the results of previous studies in SARS-affected and H1N1 influenza-affected hospitals, our study showed that nurses and medical technicians presented higher rates of psychological stress than doctors, probably because they have more and closer contact with patients. Meanwhile, in line with the results of previous studies in the SARS isolation unit, we also found that HWs in isolation wards have a more pronounced risk of stress 23 . Those who had two or more children showed a higher risk of stress, probably owing to their heavier family responsibilities. To make matters worse, the majority of HWs are female (85.0 percent in this study), since a large number of studies have confirmed the plight of working women 18 . Priority consideration should be given to female HWs. In our study, the exercise habit was associated with a lower risk of anxiety symptoms, suggesting that physical activity helps alleviate psychological impact caused by catastrophic events. Nevertheless, only 857 (16.9 percent) participants had exercise habits, indicating that the importance of exercise should be highlighted among HWs in China.