An assessment of the anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders experienced by cardiologists during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the symptoms of stress and the anxiety levels of cardiologists who continue to treat cardiac patients in addition to their epidemic duties during the COVID 19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 347 cardiologists throughout Turkey from April 17 to 20, 2020. The research was conducted using a confidential online survey. The research used the Turkish versions of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (HPQ-9). Results: Among the respondents, n = 272 (78.3%) ranged in age from 31 to 50 years old and n = 84 (24.2%) were women. A considerable proportion of the participants reported symptoms of anxiety (54.2%), insomnia (44.1%), and depression (71.1%). The women cardiologists showed more severe levels of the anxiety and depression symptoms compared to the male cardiologists. The mean GAD-7 scale scores among the women vs. the men were 6.6 +/- 3.5 vs. 5.0 +/- 4.3; P = 0.005; the mean ISI scores among the women vs. the men were 7.3 +/- 4.3 vs. 6.9 +/- 4.6; P > 0.05; and the average HPQ-9 scores among the women vs. the male cardiologists were 8.0 +/- 3.9 vs. 6.8 +/- 4.7; P = 0.02. Conclusions: In this survey, most of the cardiologists were found to be mentally challenged while continuing their profession during this outbreak. The anxiety and depression symptoms of the female doctors were especially higher than the symptoms of their male counterparts. The stress disorders created by this pandemic may have serious future consequences, especially for female doctors.