Psychological and social effects of COVID-19 pandemic on obstetrics and gynecology employees

Aim: COVID-19 pandemic affected most health care professionals and to the best of our knowledge, there has not been any studies on the gynecology and obstetrics department workers in the literature. In our study, we aim to investigate the psychological and social effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on the healthcare workers serving in the gynecology and obstetrics department and to help healthcare professionals improve their physical and mental health. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals working in obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Mardin province. It was carried out in Mardin State Hospital and Kiziltepe State Hospital, which are considered “Pandemic Hospitals”. All participants received Sociodemographic Data Form, Psychological Symptom Screening Test (SCL-90-R), Beck Anxiety Inventory and Short Psychiatric Rating Scale. These evaluation scales were applied to 13 doctors, 52 midwives and 38 nurses working in Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinics in total. They were compared in terms of occupation, gender, and age, as those under or equal to 29 (≤29) years and over 29 years (>29) of age. Twenty-nine was picked because it was the mean age of the group. Results: Although differences did not reach statistical significance, anxiety, hostility, and phobic anxiety were higher in participants over the age of 29 years (P=0.472, P=0.549, P=0.776, respectively). According to profession groups, only phobic anxiety scores were higher among doctors (P=0.373), and somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, eating and gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) were higher in midwives (P=0.166, P=0.624, P=0.531, P=0.321, P=0.147, P=0.205, P=0.359, P=0.490, P=0.696, P=0.557, respectively). Conclusion: COVID-19 will undoubtedly have psychological consequences which may be permanent in healthcare professionals. Frontline employees will be at risk, especially in departments with emergency services. Actions are needed to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on mental health by protecting and promoting the psychological well-being of healthcare workers during and after the outbreak.