Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed

Nadia El Ouni; Ahlem Mtiraoui; Houda Kalboussi; Jihene Maatoug; Amel Braham; Najib Mrizek

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed

Nadia El Ouni, Ahlem Mtiraoui, Houda Kalboussi, Jihene Maatoug, Amel Braham, Najib Mrizek

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 6)

Received: 8 October 2021 Accepted: 27 October 2021 Published: 12 November 2021

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Abstract

Background: Since the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus, healthcare workers found themselves on the front lines, exposed to a high risk of contamination and to an enormous psychological impact. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the perceived stress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 254 healthcare professionals in the health region of Sousse from March to September 2020. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. The perceived stress level, work belongingness, resilience, and coping strategies were assessed using the PSS10 scale, the Workplace Belongingness Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Brief Cope questionnaire, respectively. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 32.9 ± 8.76 years with a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.51. The assessment of perceived stress level among participants revealed a mean score of 30.69 ± 7.67 with an estimated high stress level prevalence of 22.4%. The majority of participants evinced a moderate stress level (59.5%) followed by a high stress level (22.4%). Women and health professionals with a parent in charge have higher level of perceived stress. On the other hand, perceived stress was significantly lower among healthcare professionals working in COVID units than those not working in COVID units, with p <10^-3. The multivariate analysis revealed that working in a COVID circuit, resilience, work belongingness, problem-focused coping strategies and avoidance strategies were factors associated with perceived stress among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Based on these results, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals is undeniable. However, working by personal choice in COVID units, work belongingness, resilience and problem-focused coping strategies appeared to be protective factors.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
Page(s)	128-135
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Perceived Stress, Resilience, Coping, Healthcare Professionals, Work Belongingness

References

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APA Style

Nadia El Ouni, Ahlem Mtiraoui, Houda Kalboussi, Jihene Maatoug, Amel Braham, et al. (2021). Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(6), 128-135. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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ACS Style

Nadia El Ouni; Ahlem Mtiraoui; Houda Kalboussi; Jihene Maatoug; Amel Braham, et al. Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(6), 128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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AMA Style

Nadia El Ouni, Ahlem Mtiraoui, Houda Kalboussi, Jihene Maatoug, Amel Braham, et al. Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(6):128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11,
  author = {Nadia El Ouni and Ahlem Mtiraoui and Houda Kalboussi and Jihene Maatoug and Amel Braham and Najib Mrizek},
  title = {Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {128-135},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211006.11},
  abstract = {Background: Since the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus, healthcare workers found themselves on the front lines, exposed to a high risk of contamination and to an enormous psychological impact. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the perceived stress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 254 healthcare professionals in the health region of Sousse from March to September 2020. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. The perceived stress level, work belongingness, resilience, and coping strategies were assessed using the PSS10 scale, the Workplace Belongingness Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Brief Cope questionnaire, respectively. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 32.9 ± 8.76 years with a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.51. The assessment of perceived stress level among participants revealed a mean score of 30.69 ± 7.67 with an estimated high stress level prevalence of 22.4%. The majority of participants evinced a moderate stress level (59.5%) followed by a high stress level (22.4%). Women and health professionals with a parent in charge have higher level of perceived stress. On the other hand, perceived stress was significantly lower among healthcare professionals working in COVID units than those not working in COVID units, with p -3. The multivariate analysis revealed that working in a COVID circuit, resilience, work belongingness, problem-focused coping strategies and avoidance strategies were factors associated with perceived stress among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Based on these results, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals is undeniable. However, working by personal choice in COVID units, work belongingness, resilience and problem-focused coping strategies appeared to be protective factors.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed
AU  - Nadia El Ouni
AU  - Ahlem Mtiraoui
AU  - Houda Kalboussi
AU  - Jihene Maatoug
AU  - Amel Braham
AU  - Najib Mrizek
Y1  - 2021/11/12
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 128
EP  - 135
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
AB  - Background: Since the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus, healthcare workers found themselves on the front lines, exposed to a high risk of contamination and to an enormous psychological impact. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the perceived stress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 254 healthcare professionals in the health region of Sousse from March to September 2020. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. The perceived stress level, work belongingness, resilience, and coping strategies were assessed using the PSS10 scale, the Workplace Belongingness Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Brief Cope questionnaire, respectively. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 32.9 ± 8.76 years with a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.51. The assessment of perceived stress level among participants revealed a mean score of 30.69 ± 7.67 with an estimated high stress level prevalence of 22.4%. The majority of participants evinced a moderate stress level (59.5%) followed by a high stress level (22.4%). Women and health professionals with a parent in charge have higher level of perceived stress. On the other hand, perceived stress was significantly lower among healthcare professionals working in COVID units than those not working in COVID units, with p -3. The multivariate analysis revealed that working in a COVID circuit, resilience, work belongingness, problem-focused coping strategies and avoidance strategies were factors associated with perceived stress among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Based on these results, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals is undeniable. However, working by personal choice in COVID units, work belongingness, resilience and problem-focused coping strategies appeared to be protective factors.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Nadia El Ouni

Psychiatric Research Laboratory LR12ES04, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Ahlem Mtiraoui

Psychiatric Research Laboratory LR12ES04, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Houda Kalboussi

Occupational Health Department, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Jihene Maatoug

Department of Epidemiology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Amel Braham

Psychiatric Research Laboratory LR12ES04, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Najib Mrizek

Occupational Health Department, Farhat Hached Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia

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Nadia El Ouni, Ahlem Mtiraoui, Houda Kalboussi, Jihene Maatoug, Amel Braham, et al. (2021). Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(6), 128-135. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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ACS Style

Nadia El Ouni; Ahlem Mtiraoui; Houda Kalboussi; Jihene Maatoug; Amel Braham, et al. Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(6), 128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

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AMA Style

Nadia El Ouni, Ahlem Mtiraoui, Houda Kalboussi, Jihene Maatoug, Amel Braham, et al. Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(6):128-135. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11,
  author = {Nadia El Ouni and Ahlem Mtiraoui and Houda Kalboussi and Jihene Maatoug and Amel Braham and Najib Mrizek},
  title = {Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {128-135},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211006.11},
  abstract = {Background: Since the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus, healthcare workers found themselves on the front lines, exposed to a high risk of contamination and to an enormous psychological impact. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the perceived stress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 254 healthcare professionals in the health region of Sousse from March to September 2020. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. The perceived stress level, work belongingness, resilience, and coping strategies were assessed using the PSS10 scale, the Workplace Belongingness Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Brief Cope questionnaire, respectively. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 32.9 ± 8.76 years with a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.51. The assessment of perceived stress level among participants revealed a mean score of 30.69 ± 7.67 with an estimated high stress level prevalence of 22.4%. The majority of participants evinced a moderate stress level (59.5%) followed by a high stress level (22.4%). Women and health professionals with a parent in charge have higher level of perceived stress. On the other hand, perceived stress was significantly lower among healthcare professionals working in COVID units than those not working in COVID units, with p -3. The multivariate analysis revealed that working in a COVID circuit, resilience, work belongingness, problem-focused coping strategies and avoidance strategies were factors associated with perceived stress among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Based on these results, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals is undeniable. However, working by personal choice in COVID units, work belongingness, resilience and problem-focused coping strategies appeared to be protective factors.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Healthcare Workers Facing COVID-19: The More Exposed, the Less Stressed
AU  - Nadia El Ouni
AU  - Ahlem Mtiraoui
AU  - Houda Kalboussi
AU  - Jihene Maatoug
AU  - Amel Braham
AU  - Najib Mrizek
Y1  - 2021/11/12
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 128
EP  - 135
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.11
AB  - Background: Since the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus, healthcare workers found themselves on the front lines, exposed to a high risk of contamination and to an enormous psychological impact. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the perceived stress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 254 healthcare professionals in the health region of Sousse from March to September 2020. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. The perceived stress level, work belongingness, resilience, and coping strategies were assessed using the PSS10 scale, the Workplace Belongingness Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Brief Cope questionnaire, respectively. Results: The overall mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age of the participants was 32.9 ± 8.76 years with a sex ratio (M / F) of 0.51. The assessment of perceived stress level among participants revealed a mean score of 30.69 ± 7.67 with an estimated high stress level prevalence of 22.4%. The majority of participants evinced a moderate stress level (59.5%) followed by a high stress level (22.4%). Women and health professionals with a parent in charge have higher level of perceived stress. On the other hand, perceived stress was significantly lower among healthcare professionals working in COVID units than those not working in COVID units, with p -3. The multivariate analysis revealed that working in a COVID circuit, resilience, work belongingness, problem-focused coping strategies and avoidance strategies were factors associated with perceived stress among healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Based on these results, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals is undeniable. However, working by personal choice in COVID units, work belongingness, resilience and problem-focused coping strategies appeared to be protective factors.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

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