A comparative study of the psychological impacts of tasks related and unrelated to COVID-19 on nurses: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the psychological impact of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) on university hospital nurses. It provides an assessment of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, distress, and burnout of nurses dealing directly and indirectly with COVID–19. METHODS: In a web-based, cross-sectional study, 111 nurses from Daegu Catholic University Hospital in Korea were enrolled from August 4 to August 9, 2020. Patient Health Questionnaire–9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7, Impact of Event Scale–Revised, and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to assess the psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and burnout among the study participants. RESULTS: Of 111 nurses, 35 (31.5%), nine (8.1%), 26 (23.4%), and 49 (44.1%) experienced depression, anxiety, distress, and burnout, respectively. Nurses who performed COVID–19–related tasks were more likely to have moderate depression (related vs. unrelated, 52.0% vs. 25.6%; p=0.037). There were no differences in anxiety, distress, and burnout between nurses with and without COVID–19–related tasks. More than 50% of the participants showed receptive and positive attitudes toward caring for COVID–19 patients. CONCLUSION: Nurses who performed COVID–19–related tasks had a higher risk of depression. There were no significant differences in anxiety, distress, and burnout between the two groups. Since nurses who perform COVID–19–related tasks are more prone to psychological distress, continued psychiatric interventions are required for infectious disease outbreaks with a high mortality rate for healthcare workers who are emotionally vulnerable.