Factors Associated with Stress among Healthcare Personnel after COVID-19 in Northeast Thailand: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected people psychologically worldwide, particularly healthcare personnel. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic situation has eased, healthcare personnel must still perform their duties, which has resulted in psychological impacts, particularly stress.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the risk factors associated with stress among healthcare personnel post-COVID-19 pandemic in northeast Thailand.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytic design was conducted from January to April 2023. One thousand and three hundred healthcare workers were selected from primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals across 16 districts within Chaiyaphum province. The questionnaires were used to collect data, and the stress test 5 (ST-5) questionnaire was used to investigate stress among healthcare personnel.

Results: The overall stress rate for healthcare workers was 15.47%, including very severe (8.85%) and severe (6.62%). The factors associated with stress consisted of work position, environment of work, personal life such as education level and income, and responsibility for taking care of family members, in addition to experiencing quarantine from COVID-19 were more likely to have a high risk of stress problems among healthcare workers.

Conclusion: This result highlighted that the mental health of personnel should be in critical situations, and those found severely afflicted should undergo professional care. To prevent psychological issues, particularly stress, health organizations should be concerned with strong organizational management, which includes supporting bonuses and providing high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare staff.