Correlation of Depression, Anxiety with Perceived Social Support among Nursing Staff Working in COVID- 19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine the correlation between perceived social support, anxiety and depression among nursing staff working in a COVID-19 dedicated hospital setup.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health (AFIMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from August 2020 to July 2021.Materials and Methods: We consecutively sampled 128 subjects. Basic demographic data, including age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, were recorded. All participants were requested to complete a brief demographic sheet, the Urdu version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Urdu version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).Results: The mean age of patients was 30.81 ± 6.56 years with range of 21-45 years. There were 80(62.50%) male and 48(37.50%) female nurses. ean total depression score was 7.90 ± 5.71. The mean total anxiety score was 8.49 ± 6.23. The mean multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) score was 47.29 ± 22.53. There was a significant negative correlation between the MSPSS score and the depression score (r= -0.407, p-value < 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between the MSPSS score and anxiety score (r= -0.365, p-value < 0.001).Conclusion: Results of this study highlight that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between perceived social support and depression, anxiety and stress levels found among nursing staff working in a COVID-19 dedicated hospital setup.