Depression, Death Anxiety, and the Related Factors in Nurses Caring for COVID-۱۹ Patients at Kosar Hospital, Semnan, Iran

Background and aim: The high incidence of COVID-۱۹ has provided a challenge for healthcare systems in Iran and in addition, may result in some psychological problems among healthcare workers. Given this, it is necessary to identify factors leading to negative psychosocial problems among healthcare workers, especially nurses, in order to plan appropriate intervention programs. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe depression, death anxiety, and the related factors in nurses caring for COVID-۱۹ Patients at Kosar Hospital, Semnan, Iran.Materials and method: In this cross-sectional study, ۸۹ nurses caring for COVID-۱۹ patients were selected in October ۲۰۲۰ via the census method. A researcher made demographic questionnaire consisted of ۹ questions; Beck’s Depression Inventory, second edition, consisted of ۲۱ questions; and Templer Death Anxiety Scale consisted of ۱۵ true-false items were used to collect the required data. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version ۲۰. A p-value of less than ۰.۰۵ was considered statistically significant.Results: The mean scores of death anxiety and depression among nurses were ۷.۳۲ ± ۱.۷۵ and ۱۰.۸۲ ± ۸.۵۰ respectively. The results of the Pearson’s correlation-coefficient showed a significant positive correlation between death anxiety and depression (P = ۰.۰۵), death anxiety and nurses’ age (P < ۰.۰۵), death anxiety and nurses’ work experience (P < ۰.۰۵). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the mean scores of death anxiety and depression with nurses’ gender.Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that nurses caring for COVID-۱۹ patients are at high risk of death anxiety and depression. So that, they could be prevented or reduced using possible solutions and effective interventions such as online psychological counseling services and multidisciplinary mental health teams to support and facilitate appropriate coping mechanisms for frontline nurses caring for COVID-۱۹ patients.

کلیدواژه ها:

COVID-۱۹ ، Death Anxiety ، Depression ، Nurses