Study of sleep disorders and the prevalence of anxiety in nurses working in the ICU of Mashhad hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic

Since maintaining the mental health of healthcare personnel, especially nurses who are in direct and constant contact with patients with COVID-۱۹, is key to controlling this infectious disease, assessing sleep quality and status is essential. Anxiety of frontline health workers battling COVID-۱۹ and also nurses working in the intensive care unit are of great importance. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of sleep, pain, and health-related anxiety in nurses working in the intensive care unit. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all nurses working in the ICUs of Ghaem, Imam Reza, and Sharia hospitals in Mashhad during the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of COVID-۱۹. The face-to-face questionnaires were completed by interview under the supervision of a psychologist. The Sleep Quality Index Pittsburgh (PSQI) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM) questionnaires, and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) were used to assess the psychological factors of the studied personnel. The incidence of anxiety and low sleep quality in intensive care unit nurses was ۷۹.۱ percent and ۷۹APSI index and HAI in intensive care unit nurses were ۷۰.۷ ± ۶۰.۱ and ۱۳.۳۲ ± ۷.۶۹, respectively. Gender was associated with anxiety levels and health anxiety, so that its frequency was higher in women than in men (P < ۰.۰۵). Also, the incidence of the disease, COVID-۱۹, and its residual complications were associated with increased anxiety levels and decreased sleep quality (P < ۰.۰۰۷). Nurses' health status and occupational factors (long working hours, work experience) were associated with the level of anxiety and nurses' People who worked at night and people who had no other job than nursing had lower sleep quality.