The mental state and risk factors of Chinese medical staff and medical students in early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry Vol. 102; p. 152202
• Main Authors: Wu, Shuang, Li, Zhe, Li, Zhixiong, Xiang, Weiyi, Yuan, Yiwen, Liu, Yaya, Xiong, Zhenzhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2020; Elsevier Limited; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Betacoronavirus; China - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - psychology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Female; Health Personnel - psychology; Humans; Infectious diseases; Informed consent; Male; Medical personnel; Medical staff; Medical students; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental Health; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - psychology; Polls & surveys; Public health; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Serious Mental Illness; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Students, Medical - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; China; COVID-19; Medical students; Serious Mental Illness; SARS-CoV-2; Medical staff
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2020.152202

This study aimed to investigate the mental state of medical staff and medical students in the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, as well as analyze the risk factors of serious mental illness (SMI), so as to provide a scientific basis for further psychological intervention and management. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2–7, 2020. The Kessler 6 Psychological Distress Scale and a general information questionnaire were administered on-line to a convenience sample of 548 medical staff and medical students in China. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors of SMI in medical staff and medical students. Of the 505 respondents in the final analysis, 188 (37.23%) were at high risk of SMI. Respondents were at significantly higher risk of SMI if they had been suspected of being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 7.00, 95% CI: 1.19–41.14), had relatives suspected of being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 23.60, 95% CI: 1.11–501.30), felt concerned towards media coverage of outbreak-related information (OR = 11.95, 95% CI: 3.07–46.57), recently dreamed related to SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 4.21, 95% CI: 2.22–8.01), experienced difficulty in controlling emotions during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.66–6.37), or spent hours watching outbreaks per day (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13–1.46). Our findings highlight that medical staff and medical students were vulnerable to SMI during the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and identify the factors associated with SMI which can be used to formulate psychological interventions to improve the mental health. The independent risk factors for SMI among them are suspicion that they or relatives were infected with the SARS-CoV-2, greater interest in media reports about the epidemic, frequency of recent dreams related to SARS-CoV-2, difficulty in controlling emotions during the epidemic, and hours spent watching outbreaks per day. •Medical staff and medical students were vulnerable to SMI during the COVID-19 epidemic.•The risk factor for SMI was suspected of being infected with the SARS-CoV-2.•More concern with media reports towards epidemic was associated with SMI.•The frequency of epidemic related dreams was the risk factor of SMI.•Difficulty in controlling emotions was the risk factor of SMI.