Depression Among Health Workers in Kuwait

Abstract

Introduction: People with depression have persistent sadness which interferes with productivity and daily activity. Subsequently decreasing work accuracy or increasing the medical errors in the medical field. The increasing amount of medical errors that was suggestive of depression encouraged us to estimate the extensiveness of depression among health workers in the hospitals in Kuwait. Aim: To provide basic data that will contribute to the design of preventive measures that will reduce the prevalence of Depression among health workers. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in AlFarwaniya Hospital & Mubarak AlKabeer Hospital in 2016. Data was performed using IPad and analyzed using SPSS. Results: The highest percentage of depression is among the ones whose ages are between 30 to 39 which is 12% (37) out of 52.4 % (162). It shows that females had depressive symptoms more than males, 7.1% of males were depressed compared to the 12.2% who were females. It seems that Kuwaiti health workers show depressive symptoms more than the non-Kuwaiti. It shows that doctors have highest depression rate (28%) then the nurse and finally the other careers. Married individuals show 68% are depressed which is the highest, single individuals with (28%) and divorced with (1.7%). Smokers were with 25% and nonsmokers with (19%) of depression. Chronic diseases don’t show significant effect on depression. Conclusion: This study showed that there is a difference in the prevalence of depression between the genders as well as the social status. Establishment of new rules to decrease working hours and held workshops and seminars on overcoming depression are great solutions to reduce stress among health workers.