Mental Illnesses and Quality of Sleep Among Nurses Working at a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives This study primarily aimed to estimate the prevalence of mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, and stress) along with the poor quality of sleep, with a secondary focus on determining whether there was an association between mental health and quality of sleep among nurses working at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic on 309 nurses from different departments at King Khalid University Hospital. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21), and sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) via an online survey. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 30.4%, 43.7%, and 16.5%, respectively, while 61.5% showed poor sleep quality. The association between poor quality of sleep and the other outcome variables of mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) was highly significant (p<0.0001). Conclusion Nurses have reported an increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and poor quality of sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic, making them particularly vulnerable to mental illnesses and sleep difficulties in the event of future pandemics. There is a clear link between mental health issues and poor quality of sleep, necessitating the provision of psychological support for nurses. Enhancing sleep quality is recommended as a way to decrease the prevalence of mental health concerns.