Is working in the emergency department a risk factor for sleep disorders for healthcare workers?

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between work-related stress and sleep disorders in healthcare personnel working in emergency department and in other departments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 34 emergency department healthcare personnel (emergency group [EG]) and 35 healthcare personnel working in other departments (non-emergency group [NEG]) and was conducted between November 10, 2019 and March 1, 2020. All participants were administered the following questionnaires: work-related strain inventory (WRSI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Berlin questionnaire, insomnia severity index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI). RESULTS: While the mean WRSI score of EG was 39.53±7.77, the mean WRSI score of NEG was 30.06±7.26 (t=5.236, p<0.001). According to PSQI, 79.4% of EG and 57.1% of NEG were found to have poor sleep quality (X(2)=3.938, df=1, p=0.047). Median PSQI overall score was 12 (IQR 25th-75th percentiles: 10-14) in EG, and 7 (IQR 25th-75th percentiles: 4-9) in NEG (U=285.5, p<0.001). While the mean anxiety score of EG was 13.35±5.70, the mean anxiety score of NEG was 9.06±6.00 (t=3.046, p=0.003). Median depression score was 12 (IQR 25th-75th percentiles: 10-16) in EG, and was 8 (IQR 25th-75th percentiles: 4-12) in NEG (U=354, p=0.004). A significant positive correlation was found between work-related strain scores and sleep quality, sleepiness, and insomnia severity scores (r=0.541, p<0.001; r=0.310, p=0.010; r=0.357, p=0.004; respectively). CONCLUSION: It was determined that healthcare personnel working in the emergency department were at higher risk of developing sleep disorders compared to healthcare personnel working in other departments and that there was a significant relationship between sleep disorders and work-related stress.