Postpandemic fear of COVID-19, psychological distress, and resilient coping among frontline health workers in Ghana: An analytical cross-sectional study.

Journal: Health science reports

Volume: 6

Issue: 10

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College Asanta Ghana. School of Nursing and Midwifery University of Ghana Legon Ghana. School of Nursing Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA.

Abstract summary 

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted the psychological well-being of healthcare workers globally. However, little is known about the mental health state of frontline health workers in the postpandemic era. The purpose of this study was to examine postpandemic COVID-19-related psychological distress and fear among frontline health workers in Ghana.Data were collected from 245 frontline healthcare workers in the Western region of Ghana. COVID-19-related fear, psychological distress, and resilient coping were assessed with the fear of COVID-19 scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between psychological distress and fear of COVID-19 as well as the moderating effects of resilient coping.Participants were mostly female (57.1%), aged between 21 and 30 years (50.6%), and not married (58.0%). We found that 52.2% of frontline healthcare workers experienced mild-to-severe fear, while 40% experienced psychological distress. Fear of COVID-19, previous contact with COVID-19 patients, and earning a monthly income between 501 and 1000 Ghanaian cedis were significantly associated with higher psychological distress. The positive association between fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress was stronger among frontline health workers who had higher resilient coping.There is the need to provide frontline health workers with mental health support services to promote their psychological well-being and enhance their ability to provide quality care during the postpandemic era.

Authors & Co-authors:  Fofie Evelyn Adu EA Ekpor Emmanuel E Akyirem Samuel S

Study Outcome 

Source Link: Visit source

Statistics
Citations :  World Health Organization . WHO African Region numbers at a glance. WHO | Regional Office for Africa; 2023. Accessed May 23, 2023. https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus-covid-19
Authors :  3
Identifiers
Doi : e1608
SSN : 2398-8835
Study Population
Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
COVID‐19;Ghana;fear;psychological distress;resilient coping
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Ghana
Publication Country
United States