Increase in use of psychiatric sick leave during COVID-19 pandemic by healthcare workers in a municipality in Argentina

INTRODUCTION: The severe respiratory syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus has resulted in worldwide pressure on the healthcare workers attempting to treat millions of individuals ill with COVID-19, in addition to their regular duties. OBJECTIVES: To examine use of psychiatric leave by Argentinian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including exploring potential differences by sex. METHODS: We analyzed psychiatric sick leave taken by municipal level healthcare workers in the Province of Buenos Aires, January - October 2020. We compared historical cases of psychiatric sick leave from 2015-2019 to leave requested in 2020. RESULTS: Healthcare workers utilized 161.9% more psychiatric sick leave in 2020, with significantly more leave taken by women. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers in the Argentinian municipality of Vicente Lopez took a significantly greater amount of psychiatric sick leave during the pandemic. The higher rates of psychiatric sick leave taken by women replicates other findings of higher rates of psychological symptoms in female healthcare workers.