Prevalence of Mental Disorders Among Healthcare Workers After the Pandemic in Vietnam and Associated Factors: a Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 was declared no longer a global health emergency. The mental health of healthcare workers has become a critical concern, highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among healthcare workers in Vietnam and the associated factors in the post-pandemic era.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Hung Vuong Hospital, Vietnam. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 660 healthcare workers, and the outcomes were assessed using the DASS-21 scale.

Results: The participants' ages ranged from 22 to 62 years, with 66.2% female. The majority were nurses (48.9%) and doctors (25.8%). A significant proportion worked in clinical sectors (77.9%) and had less than 10 years of work experience (84.4%). Overall, 39.5% of participants had at least one mental disorder, specifically, 31.7% had anxiety, 16.2% had stress, and 18.9% had depression. Significant associated factors included pressure from administrative duties (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.39-3.35), intensive work (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.13-2.55), relationships with colleagues (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.10-2.29), and perceived fairness in work-performance evaluations (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.22-2.91).

Conclusion: The mental disorders among healthcare workers in Vietnam remained relatively high after the pandemic. Interventions should prioritize work-environmental factors including pressure from administrative duties, intensive working, the absence of good relationships with colleagues, and the fairness in work-performance evaluation.