Evaluation of Anxiety in Doctors Working in New Type 2019 COVID and Non-COVID Services

Objective:This descriptive study was conducted in a foundation university hospital complex in Istanbul and aimed to evaluate the anxiety in physicians who provide new type 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID) related and non-COVID-19-related services.Materials and Methods:This study included 50 physicians who provide COVID-19-related services and 52 physicians with non-COVID-19-related services. A questionnaire that contains sociodemographic and occupational characteristics of physicians and a state-trait anxiety scale were used as data collection tools. Data were collected through an online survey application. Data analysis checked the variable distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. Since no normal distribution was found, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons of two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons of more than two groups. The Pearson correlation analysis was performed for correlation analysis.Results:Our study determined significantly higher mean state anxiety scores of physicians who provide COVID-19-related services than that of the other group (p<0.05). According to age groups, the mean trait anxiety scores of physicians aged 43 years and over who provide COVID-19-related services were significantly lower than that in physicians who provide non-COVID-19-related services (p<0.05). A strong positive correlation was found in the state and trait anxiety scale mean scores between both groups (p<0.05). Therefore, state and trait anxiety increase in correlation.Conclusion:Our study revealed higher state anxiety of physicians who provide COVID-19-related services than that of physicians who provide non-COVID-19-related services. Additionally, no difference was found in the trait anxiety, which indicates that working in the pandemic services causes anxiety