MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BANGLADESH:

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have gone through the most critical period of their professional lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This condition required diligent management, and they had to protect themselves without showing any disregard for their responsibilities. A comprehensive understanding of the mental health problems among HCPs is essential since they are at higher risk of developing psychological distress. This cross-sectional study attempts to identify the mental health impact among HCPs amid the pandemic of COVID-19 in Bangladesh. A convenience sampling technique was adopted to recruit the target participants. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. A total of 483 HCPs from 10 public and 2 private hospitals participated in this study with a mean age of 30.89 (± 5.647) years. Percentage of depression (60.5 %), fear of being COVID-19 infected (76.0 %), and fear of infecting family members (86.3 %) were interpreted. Among them, 29.6% reported low stress, 63.6% presented moderate stress, and 6.8% reported high perceived stress. Adequate mental health support should be implemented to tackle the mental health problems among HCPs and ensure better healthcare services during health emergencies.