Anxiety and Coping Skills during Covid-19 Epidemic among Midwives at Community Health Centers in Central Java: A Descriptive Study

Background : The increase of COVID-19 cases in the second wave has affected the workload of health workers in Indonesia. More workload may increase the risk of stress and anxiety among healthcare workers. Coping skills are one of the important strategies to maintaining mental health status during the delivery of healthcare services. This study aimed to examine anxiety levels and coping skills among midwives. Subjects and Method : This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Community Health Centers in Central Java, from July to August 2021. A total of 83 midwives was selected by total sampling. The dependent variables included anxiety and coping skill. The anxiety level was measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). The coping skills variable was measured using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results : A total of 83 midwives (100%) experienced anxiety with varying levels as follows: minimal (50.6%), mild (32.5%), moderate (13.3%), and high (3.6%). The majority of midwives had adaptive coping strategy (94%). Only a few midwives had maladaptive coping strategy (6%). Conclusion : Anxiety is highly prevalent among midwives in Central Java. Fortunately, the majority of them has adaptive coping strategy to maintain mental health.