key: cord-0748384-hs8vuiu3
authors: Ozgunduz, C.; Bıçakçıoğlu, M.; Tutak, A.; Ozgunduz, A.
title: P.0641 Mental health status of the intensive care unit healthcare workers in an university hospital at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-12-30
journal: Eur Neuropsychopharmacol
DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.10.605
sha: 1068c5e9cf9ce31f21dc0de9c4a757278d9bd06f
doc_id: 748384
cord_uid: hs8vuiu3

nan

Introduction Besides neuropsychiatric effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pandemic has a severe negative psychological impact, with a high risk of development or worsening of mental disorders due to stress associated with public health measures, lockdown, and isolation, which significantly contribute to anxiety. Thus, identification of risk and protective factors is of key importance to prevent development of disorders, decrease suffering and burden on the healthcare system. Our aim was to analyze factors contributing to selfreported changes in anxiety during the COVID-lockdown.

Methods: As part of a 42-country international collaboration effort to assess changes in subjective mental well-being during the pandemic-related lockdown, our present analysis included data from 763 Hungarian adults recruited using a snowball method, who provided demographic and healthrelated data including psychiatric and medical history and presence of chronic somatic problems, and completed self-report questionnaires evaluating depression (CES-D), anxiety (STAI), suicidal behavior, subjective changes in psychological symptoms, maintenance of daily routine, lifestyle changes including physical activity, sleep, eating and nutrition, degree of lock-up, changes in the frequency and quality of family relationships, being a caretaker of someone from a vulnerable group, fear of contracting the virus or of family member contracting the virus, belief in the effectiveness of precautions, beliefs in conspiracy theories related to the pandemic, financial state, and several work and profession-related variables. Analyses included binary logistic regression models and χ 2 -square tests. Conclusions: Besides the acute and post-infection neuropsychiatric effects of SARS-CoV-2, the pandemic-related lockdown may also cause severe psychological distress and symptoms. Our study identified multiple factors influencing lockdown-related subjective changes in anxiety acting either as risk or protective factors, the majority of which are modifiable and can be targeted with information, psychoeducation or low-threshold intervention or preventive efforts. Identifying and modifying such factors and their impact, besides decreasing subjective suffering and the risk of development of worsening of psychiatric disorders, also decreases burden on the healthcare system. ( 1 ). A pandemic is defined as a disease or infectious factor that occurs worldwide or in a wide area which crosses international borders and affects a large number of people ( 2 ) . Mental health is also significantly affected during pandemic periods as well as physical health ( 3 ) . When the studies about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of healthcare workers are examined, a study by Lai et al. in China revealed that depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress symptoms appeared in a significant portion of healthcare workers, particularly in women, nurses and frontline healthcare workers ( 4 ). In the literatüre, it was also stated that healthcare workers, especially those working in the emergency department, intensive care unit, and infectious diseases services, were at high risk for psychiatric disorders ( 5 ) . Objective: To reveal anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and stress levels in intensive care unit healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate the factors affecting them. Method: 79 participants working at Adıyaman University Hospital Intensive Care Units between 20-30 April 2020 were included in the study. Participants filled the questionnaire form regarding sociodemographic data and COVID-19, and PSQI, DASS-42, BDI, and BAI scales. SPSS 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. T-Test and Mann-Whitney-U tests were used for Independent Groups in paired comparison groups and Kruskal-Wallis tests in triple comparison groups. Results: 58 of the participants were the healthcare workers of intensive care units with COVID-19 ( + ) patients. 22 of the participants were doctors, 43 were nurses, and 14 were other healthcare workers. It was found that 19 of the participants had poor sleep quality, 35 had depression, 51 had anxiety, and 44 had distress. Participants working in intensive care units with COVID-19 ( + ) patients were found to have higher DASS-S, BAI, and BDI scores than the participants working in other intensive care units (p < 0.016, p < 0.023, p < 0.039, respectively). Doctors were found to have lower BDI scores than nurses and other healthcare workers (p < 0.033, p < 0.001, respectively), and the participants with COVID-19 symptoms were found to have higher mean BAI scores than those without COVID-19 symptoms (p < 0.010).

The main findings of this study included that healthcare workers in intensive care units with COVID-19 ( + ) patients had higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, doctors had lower levels of depression than nurses and other healthcare workers, those with COVID-19 symptoms had higher anxiety levels. In the light of these findings, providing psychological and social support for the mental health of healthcare workers at the frontline departments such as intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic has a great importance. Remarkably, healthcare workers who are in direct contact with COVID-19 ( + ) patients should be evaluated in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress. There is a need for prospective studies with large samples to reveal the effects of psychological interventions on this issue.

No conflict of interest P.0642

The apelinergic system influences anxiety-like behavior in a mouse model of comorbidity between diabetes and depression Background : Epidemiological studies suggest the existence of a bidirectional link between diabetes and psychiatric disorders. For instance, the prevalence of depression is twice higher among diabetic patients relative to the general population [1] . This suggests that insulin sensitivity could be a key process underlying such a comorbidity. Accordingly, we demonstrated that mice fed a high fat diet (HFD), a model of insulin resistance, harbor anxio/depressive-like behaviors whereas the insulin-sensitizing drug metformin reversed these neurobehavioral anomalies [2] . Apelin is a newly identified hormone secreted by the adipose tissue which improves glucose tolerance and peripheral insulin sensitivity [3] . Also, apelin and its APJ receptor are widely expressed in the brain and evidence demonstrates that the intracerebral injection of this adipokine positively influences emotional states [4] .

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