Emotional manifestations and psychological symptoms in healthcare workers of a general hospital of Buenos Aires city before and after vaccination against SARS-Cov-2

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic left healthcare workers physically and mentally exhausted. Studies demonstrated the increase in psychological and psychiatric pathologies with the pandemic. In this work, the impact of vaccination against COVID-19 on the emotional manifestations and psychological symptoms of workers at a general acute care hospital in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina was measured.

Methods: A descriptive, observational, transversal study and analytical survey was developed in order to assess the impact of vaccination against COVID-19 on hospital workers' emotional demonstrations and psychological symptoms. An inquiry to the hospital personnel, who had received at least one dose of vaccine against COVID-19, was disseminated to know more details about self-perceived psychological symptoms and emotions, and safety to carry their work out, before and after vaccination.

Results: 302 responses were obtained; 214 (70%) of those surveyed presented some psychological symptom, mainly anxiety (153-50,6%%), anguish (141-46,7%) and sleep disturbances (132-43,7%). The incidence of all decreased after vaccination and 22,1% (67) reported disappearance of some of those symptoms after it. The feelings of calm and security increased by 8% and 2,6% respectively. In 75% (229) vaccination increased the feeling of security at work.

Conclusions: Our study shows how vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 reduced the psychological symptoms presented as a result of the pandemic and increased the feeling of job security.