Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Nursing Department, University of Babylon, Iraq
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The COVID‑19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of
millions globally. Coronaviruses are viruses’ group that can contract animals and humans and the
cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS),
and COVID‑19. Nurses are the primary service providers in the health care; nurses who are in close
contact with infectious patients need to get their mental health checked and supervised on a regular
basis, particularly with regard to stress, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, so that they can provide optimal
quality of life and healthy mental health to have good care for patients to assess the impact of the
pandemic on mental health status for nurses in Iraq.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of sample study (1000) nurses in Iraq completed an online
questionnaire between March and May 2021. Psychological impact was assessed using the
depression anxiety stress scale (DASS21).
RESULTS: The study revealed impact COVID‑19 on mental health status (anxiety stress) and
no impact COVID‑19 on mental health status (depression) for nurses was (P value = 0.040 and
P value = 0.045, respectively).
CONCLUSION: The impact COVID‑19 on mental health status for nurses. Protecting the nursing
staff from chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, which constitutes a psychological burden on health
during the outbreak of the COVID‑19 pandemic, by clarifying the disease and how to prevent it, as
well as providing the personal protective equipment to decrease stress, anxiety, and depression
during the pandemic.
Keywords
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