Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Chiropractors in South Africa During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress responses of chiropractors in South Africa during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was an explorative cross-sectional survey. The survey was distributed to 884 chiropractors through the membership databases of the Chiropractic Association of South Africa and the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa from July 9, 2020, until August 4, 2020. The study was conducted through Google Forms and included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests and comparatively using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: The response rate was 17%. The chiropractor scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were within the normal range (7.35, 5.42, and 11.58, respectively). Female chiropractors under the age of 40 years old were found to be affected to a greater degree than the other participants in this study (9.87, 7.56, and 14.14). CONCLUSION: Self-reported levels for stress, anxiety, and depression among chiropractors in South Africa were found to be within normal limits during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.