STRESS RELATED SYMPTOMS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN GREECE, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Abstract

The present study aims to explore the self-reported traumatic stress symptoms related to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and to investigate associations among trauma-related stress symptoms, demographic, work-related, and clinical characteristics in a sample of professionals drawn from psychiatric services in Greece. The following online questionnaires were used in this study. An I. self-reported questionnaire about demographic, work-related, and clinical characteristics, and II. the Impact of Event Scale, with modifications for COVID-19 (IES COVID-19). The research period was from June 5, 2021, to September 9, 2021, during which Greece had just emerged from a six month total lockdown. We included 363 employees of public mental health services (females 77%, mean age 44±9 years). More than half of the participants (54.5%) answered that they felt that their patients might not have been offered the optimal possible care due to measures against COVID-19 dissemination, in the workplace. Linear regression analysis revealed that female gender (β= 6.42, 95% CI: 3.01, 9.82, p<0.001), being divorced/separated/widowed (β= 5.31, 95% CI: 0.86, 9.77, p=0.02) and feeling that patients might not have been offered the optimal possible care due to measures against COVID-19 dissemination (β=4.40, 95% CI: 1.53 - 7.26, p=0.003) were found to be significant factors for total IES COVID-19. Challenges faced by those working in psychiatric and mental health services have received less attention and understanding, although they faced ethical dilemmas that have a significant impact on both patients and professionals, during the pandemic. These ethical dilemmas, in turn, may contribute to increased role stress and traumatic symptoms among mental health professionals.