Psychological impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers in King Hamad University Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis with a likely long-term psychological impact on healthcare workers (HCWs). As the pandemic moves towards endemic status, little knowledge exists on how it has affected HCWs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This study aims to evaluate the psychological impact and related factors of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors were assessed at two time periods: 1- July 2020 (T1: 6 months after the pandemic started in Bahrain) and 2- 6-month follow-up during January 2021 (T2: 12 months). Methods: An online cross-sectional survey using standardized questionnaires; Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and factors including lifestyle, exposure to COVID-19, and knowledge of the centre’s psychological support services was circulated during both the time periods. Results: Based on a sample size of 366 (T1) and 537 (T2) HCWs, mild/positive PTSD prevalence increased from 18.9% (T1) to 19.6 % (T2), but anxiety decreased from 31.1% (T1) to 27.4% (T2). Sleep-related disturbances significantly decreased from T1 to T2 (32.5 % vs 24.8%, p = 0.013). Although the frequency of HCWs with psychological distress and anxiety did not change significantly over time, there was a decrease in severity of both psychological distress (p=0.06) and anxiety (p=0.005). HCWs (75%) who were aware of available psychological support services also had lower IES-R and BAI scores. Conclusion: COVID-19 has caused psychological distress and anxiety to HCWs, but rates were lower compared to other studies. Further development of COVID-19 leadership strategies incorporating interventions focused on psychological support for HCWs is needed. Keywords: COVID-19, Trauma, Mental health, Anxiety, Psychological impact, Post-traumatic stress disorder