Anxiety and perceived psychological impact associated with needle stick and sharp device injury among tertiary hospital workers, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Occupational needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) affect healthcare workers’ (HCWs’) mental health, however, limited evidence is available on the psychological impact of NSSIs, especially in developing countries where most of NSSIs have been reported. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the anxiety and psychological impact regarding NSSIs among HCWs at tertiary hospitals in Lao PDR. In this study, four among seven items of anxiety scale in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (Cronbach’s α=0.80) was applied. Participants who experienced NSSIs in the past 6 months showed significantly higher anxiety scores than those who did not experienced (p=0.004) and the average anxiety scores was high shortly after the NSSI. The 42.7% of them were more afraid of needles and sharp devices in the 2 wk after the NSSI than the time of the interview. The results encourage developing countries to adapt a comprehensive NSSI management policy including not only to take adequate precaution measures but psychological support and treatment for HCWs from immediately after NSSIs to improve safety for HCWs and patients. Further studies are needed to develop normative psychiatric scales with cultural adaptation in developing countries which provide convenient mental disorder assessment after NSSIs.