Prevalence and risk factors associated with mental health symptoms among anesthetists in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract The involvement of anesthetists in high-risk interventions exposes them to a serious risk of acquiring an infection and therefore exacerbates their psychological pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate mental health problems among anesthetists in Saudi Arabia by quantifying the severity of distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. The study is a cross-sectional, hospital-based online survey. Distress symptoms were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Questionnaires (IES-R), and depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Multivariate logistic regression was used. A total of 296 respondents completed the survey. Overall, distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were identified in 25.3%, 29.4%, and 30.7% of respondents, respectively. Anesthetists who were Saudi, single, under 50 years old, had a relative or friend with COVID-19, were dissatisfied with safety measures, felt stigmatized, smoked during the pandemic, and worked in secondary hospitals had higher degrees of severity on two or more measures of mental health symptoms than other respondents. Our findings highlight the mental health vulnerabilities of anesthetists in Saudi Arabia. Lack of confidence in infection control measures, as well as stigmatization, were found to be risk factors for distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms during the pandemic.