Original scientific paper
The relationship of different psychological factors with the level of stress,
anxiety and depression in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
in the Republic of Croatia
Ljiljana Pačić-Turk - Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Dominik-Borna Ćepulić - Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Ana Haramina - Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Josip Bošnjaković - Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
https://doi.org/10.21465/2020-SP-231-03
Fulltext (croatian, pages 35-53).pdf
Abstracts
The aim of the study was to determine the level of stress, anxiety and depression in health
care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, factors that predict their severity and the degree of worry
due to different circumstances in work and family environment. DASS, Brief RCOPE and CD-RISC-10 were
administered. The survey was conducted online during May and June 2020 on 135 participants gathered by
snowball sampling. The results show slightly higher stress and anxiety levels and equal levels of depression,
compared to a non-clinical sample from US research. Resilience is negatively associated with stress, anxiety,
and depression, and negative religious coping is positively associated with depression. Also, women show
lower levels of depression than men. Regarding circumstances in the work environment, participants express
equal concern about the inadequacy of protective equipment, lack of staff and the possibility of their
colleagues being infected. They express less concern about endangering their own health and inappropriate
equipment use. Regarding the family environment, exposing family members to the risk of infection
due to one’s work is most stressful. This is followed by the worry about the possibility of self-isolation and
the least concern is that behavioural adjustments would influence their close relationships. Participants
who are in contact with COVID-19 patients are more concerned about the lack of staff and their health being
endangered. Participants in contact with COVID-19 patients, or patients and colleagues who were later
diagnosed with COVID-19, are more concerned about staff shortages and that their colleagues may get
infected. Singles were more concerned about the inadequacy of protective equipment than participants
living with someone else.
Keywords
COVID-19, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Resilience, Religious Coping