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Anxiety among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Predictive role of social support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

A. Bouaziz*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Departement, Hospital University of HEDI CHAKER, sfax, Tunisia
N. Smaoui
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
M. Kraiem
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, sfax, Tunisia
M. Maalej Bouali
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
S. Omri
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
R. Feki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
J. Ben Thabet
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
L. Zouari
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
N. Charfi
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
M. Maalej
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic may cause elevated levels of anxiety in healthcare professionals (HCP). Identifying factors that could help maintain mental health especially social support could be helpful in facing this stressful situation.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to asses the relationship between the trait-anxiety and perceived social support among Tunisian HCP in the current pandemic wave of COVID-19.

Methods

A cross- sectional descriptive and analytic study conducted among Tunisian HCP during November and December 2020. The data were collected by an online questionnaire. The trait-anxiety was assessed using the “General Anxiety questionnaire of Spielberger” (STAI-Y-B). We used the “Social Support Questionnaire” to measure availability and satisfaction regarding perceived social support.

Results

Participants were 135 HCP, and aged from 24 to 61 years old (average age 31.98 years). The sex ratio was 1.1 (71 males and 64 females). Of HCP involved in the study, 61.5% were single, 36.3% were married and 2.2% were divorced. The average scores of availability and satisfaction regarding perceived social were 7.79 (SD=3.56) and 28.41 (SD=6.75), respectively. Seventy-two of the HCP had a trait-anxious. Analysis showed that social support satisfaction scores were significantly lower in trait-anxious HCP (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the score of availability according to trait-anxiety (p=0.49).

Conclusions

Our study highlighted the existence of a deficit on perceived social support satisfaction among trait-anxious Tunisian HCP. Perceived social support as a determinant of trait anxiety should be the focus of social work in this period.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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