Psychological impact of COVID‑19 on health‑care workers: A multicenter cross‑sectional study

Background: Health‑care workers (HCWs) as frontline soldiers are involved in the war against COVID‑19. Not only their protection from COVID‑19 is important but also their mental health is a concern. This study aimed to measure the psychological distress among HCWs in the time of COVID‑19 in Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted in the 2nd month of the spread of COVID‑19 in Isfahan, Iran (March 16 to April 3). A total of 321 HCWs participated in an online survey and answered the General Health Questionnaire, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. t‑test and ANOVA were used for comparing variables between groups. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the predictive factors of psychological distress. Results: About 34% of our HCWs suffer from some levels of psychological distress. The result of multiple linear regression (R2: 0.41) shows that the predictive variables with the highest value were insomnia, working as a medical resident, and lack of social support (standardized coefficient of beta: 0.51, 0.25, and 0.16, respectively; P < 0.05). Conclusion: The result of our study shows that about one‑third of HCWs in COVID‑19 special hospitals have some psychological problems. Being a medical resident, suffering from insomnia, and lack of social support are predictive variables.