Investigation of mental health status of healthcare professionals who working actively during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 negatively affects all individuals in societies and affects both the mental health and social lives of healthcare professionals. The aim of this study is to examine the mental health status of healthcare professionals. The data of this descriptive study were collected from a total of 378 healthcare professionals between May and June 2021 in a training and research hospital in Ankara. The data were obtained using the sociodemographic characteristics form, COVID-19 exposure and impact status, Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress and Beck Anxiety Scale. SPSS 26 statistical program is used in the analysis of the data. Descriptive analyses, Kruskall Wallis H test, Sperman Correlation Coefficient and Bonferroni correction and Mann Whitney U analysis were performed in the evaluation of the data. As a result of the analyzes conducted in the study, the perceived stress level of healthcare professionals was 16.58±4.91, anxiety level was 13.44 ± 11.39 and depression level was 13.81±9.66. Accordingly, it was found that healthcare professionals had moderate level of stress, and mild level of depression and anxiety. In the other hand, it was found that the stress, anxiety and depression levels of women, those with less experience in the profession, those who are divorced and single, those who do not have children, nurses, those who work at night and shift changes, those who smoke, those who have a history of psychiatric illness, those who have received psychiatric treatment, those who are diagnosed with COVID-19, those who are living together, and those who are in the risk group were statistically higher. As a result of the results obtained at the study, reveal that the healthcare professionals have negativelly effected as mentally during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to protect the mental health of healthcare professionals in the COVID-19 pandemic, where the need for a strong health service emerges, it may be useful to take into account the variables that negatively affect mental health and to take measures for them.