description , location within the medical center , prior history of psychologic illness , current symptoms of psychologic distress , methods of coping with distress , and importance of spiritual beliefs .
Impact of Events Scale – Revised ( IES-R )
The IES-R 12-14 is a 22-item measure that assesses the subjective distress that is caused by traumatic events . It can be helpful in assessing the effects of routine life stressors or of acute and / or traumatic life events . Scores are derived from a five-point Likert scale for each item ranging from “ not at all ” to “ extremely ” in severity , and total scores can range from 0-88 . Scores above 23 are considered clinically meaningful , while those at or above 33 are considered highly consistent with the diagnosis of PTSD .
Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 ( GAD-7 )
The GAD-7 15 , 16 is a seven-item self-report brief anxiety measure used in general medical settings . During instrument development , the items of the GAD-7 were tested in numerous medical sites , making this measure relevant to the current study ’ s medical center employee sample . The GAD-7 assesses the presence and frequency over the past two weeks of various symptoms of anxiety on a four-point Likert-type scale ( 0 = not at all , 1 = several days , 2 = more than half the days , and 3 = nearly every day ). The interpretation of anxiety total scores ( ranging from 0-21 ) includes : normal ( 0-4 ), mild ( 5-9 ), moderate ( 10-14 ), and severe ( 15-21 ).
Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 ( PHQ-9 )
The PHQ-9 17 , 18 is a nine-item self-report measure of depressive symptoms . It has been used in medical settings to aid in the screening and diagnosis of depression by assessing symptoms and functional impairment . The PHQ-9 assesses the presence and frequency over the past two weeks of symptoms of depression on a four-point Likert scale ( 0 = not at all , 1 = several days , 2 = more than half the days , and 3 = nearly every day ). The interpretation of depression total scores ( ranging from 0-27 ) includes : minimal ( 1-4 ), mild ( 5-9 ), moderate ( 10-14 ), moderately severe ( 15-19 ), and severe ( 20-27 ).
STATISTICAL ANALYSES
The statistical program SAS was used to analyze data . Continuous variables are presented as means and standard deviations ( or medians and interquartile ranges if data was not normally distributed ) and categorical variables are reported as frequencies and percentages . A P value of <. 05 was used to determine statistical significance . Specific to our hypothesis , comparisons were performed between employees having direct patient contact with patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus ( or those under investigation for the disease ) and those not having direct contact with those patients using Chi Square or , if appropriate , Fisher ’ s exact tests .
RESULTS
TABLE 1 : Demographic Data
As indicated in Table 1 , 1,116 healthcare employees participated in the study . Most of the participants identified as female ( 78 %) and the average age of participants was 45.8 years . Participants , on average , had worked for 19.4 years in healthcare . Nursing was the most common healthcare sector represented in the study ( 27 %), followed by registration / clerical workers ( 11.7 %) and administration ( 9.8 %). Approximately two-thirds of employees
Age ( in years ) Mean = 45.8 Standard Deviation = 12.47 Years Worked in Healthcare Mean = 19.4 Standard Deviation = 12.89 Gender Female : 78 % Male : 22 % Direct Contact with Patients Yes : 64 % No : 36 %
Direct Contact with Patients Infected with the Novel Coronavirus
Positive Prior History of Psychological Issues
Yes 37 %
Anxiety 26 % Depression 28 % PTSD 5 %
No 45 %
% Respondents
Unsure 18 %
Job Description Number of Respondents (%) Nurse 298 ( 26.7 )
Medical Assistant / Nursing Assistant / Health Unit Coordinator
57 ( 5.1 )
Attending Physician 29 ( 2.6 ) Resident / Fellow Physician 18 ( 1.6 )
Advanced Practice Provider 38 ( 3.4 ) Lab Technician / Lab Assistant 40 ( 3.6 ) Physical / Occupational / Speech Therapy 22 ( 2.0 ) Pharmacist / Pharmacy Technician 42 ( 3.8 ) Dietitian / Dietary Worker 26 ( 2.3 ) Imaging Services 39 ( 3.5 ) Registration / Clerical Worker 130 ( 11.7 ) Health Information Services 62 ( 5.6 ) Administration 109 ( 9.8 ) Psychologist / Social Worker / Counselor 29 ( 2.6 ) Patient Accounts / Billing / Coding 27 ( 2.4 ) Other 150 ( 13.2 ) Total 1116 ( 99.9 )
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