The effect of fear of covid-19 on the stress, depression and anxiety levels of healthcare workers: Example of healthcare workers in Tunceli province

The main purpose of this research is to determine the effect of fear of COVID-19 on the levels of stress, depression, and anxiety among healthcare workers. COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is an infectious disease caused by the coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, which was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Although the disease has affected many professional groups, it has had the most intense impact on healthcare workers. According to World Health Organization (2021) data, between January 2020 and May 2021, between 80,000 and 180,000 healthcare workers worldwide lost their lives due to COVID-19. According to the report of the Turkish Medical Association, 506 healthcare workers died from COVID-19 between March 17, 2020, and February 28, 2022. In Turkey, 120,000 COVID-19 cases were reported among healthcare workers. In this context, the study aims to examine how healthcare workers working in the city center of Tunceli were affected by the pandemic and the psychological levels they were exposed to; with the findings obtained, it aims to shed light on evaluations for the post-pandemic period. The study questions not only the immediate effects of fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic but also whether it has left a lasting impact on the mental health of healthcare workers. Therefore, the research aims to contribute to studies that will be carried out to protect the psychological well-being of healthcare workers in the post-pandemic period. The scientific concern of the study is to address the existing knowledge gap and contribute to the development of psychosocial support policies that can be implemented in the face of similar health crises in the future. The data were collected using the survey method, and the research population consisted of healthcare workers in the city center of Tunceli. The sample of the study consisted of 161 voluntary participants. Of the participants, 63.9% (n=103) were women and 36.02% (n=58) were men. The scale set included the Demographic Information Form, the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the COVID-19 Fear Scale. The research was cross-sectional in nature and was conducted within the framework of the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The reliability level of the data was examined, and Cronbach's Alpha coefficients for the scales were found to be above the acceptable level. In addition, the results of the exploratory factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the scales. The suitability of the data for normal distribution was tested by considering skewness and kurtosis values, and it was found appropriate for analyses. As a result of the analyses, healthcare workers' levels of depression were found to be mild, while their levels of stress and anxiety were found to be moderate. Independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted according to demographic variables showed significant differences in some variables (p<0.05). Linear regression analyses performed to test the main hypotheses of the study revealed that fear of COVID-19 had a statistically significant effect on depression (B coefficient significant, R² values moderate), anxiety, and stress levels. The findings demonstrate that COVID-19 created a significant element of fear among healthcare workers and that this fear is directly associated with psychological pressure factors. In conclusion, it is recommended that healthcare institutions develop programs to enhance the psychological resilience of their employees and strengthen support mechanisms during possible crisis periods.