Mental health outcomes among health‐care workers in Oman during COVID‐19: A cluster analysis

Chan, Moon Fai; Al‐Shekaili, Muna; Al‐Adawi, Samir; Hassan, Walid; Al‐Said, Nazik; Al‐Sulaimani, Fatima; Jayapal, Sathish Kumar; Al‐Mawali, Adhra

AIM: Despite the much heralded epidemic of adjustment difficulties, health‐care workers (HCW), who are likely to be at risk and impacted with mental health issues, have received scant attention. This study aimed to determine whether definable profiles exist in a cohort of HCWs associated with demographic and mental health problems. METHODS: An online cross‐sectional survey was conducted in Oman. Demographic and mental health data were collected from 8 to 17 April 2020. A total of 1132 participants returned their completed questionnaire. A two‐step cluster analysis was used to split the sample into three clusters. RESULTS: Cluster A (n = 416) was from HCW in non‐frontline roles, and constituted “low‐risk and least‐impacted”. Cluster B (n = 412) and Cluster C (n = 304) were from frontline HCW and constituted ‘high‐risk and moderate‐impacted’ and ‘high‐risk and high‐impacted’ groups, respectively. HCWs in Cluster C reported more depression (P < 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), stress (P < 0.001) and clinical insomnia (P < 0.001) compared with those in the other clusters. HCWs in Cluster C were at the highest risk for mental health problems during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Early psychological interventions targeting this vulnerable group may be beneficial. Management should develop different tailor‐made strategic plans to address different mental health needs for each profile group.