Sleep quality and mental health of medical workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

• Published in: Sleep and biological rhythms Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 173 - 180
• Main Authors: Zheng, Yahua, Wang, Lili, Feng, Lingfei, Ye, Lingxiao, Zhang, Aiping, Fan, Rui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 2021
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Health Psychology; Human Physiology; Internal Medicine; Neurology; Neurosciences; Original; Original Article; Psychiatry; COVID-19; Sleep quality; Medical workers; Mental health
• ISSN: 1446-9235; 1479-8425
• DOI: 10.1007/s41105-020-00304-7

The purpose of this study is to assess the sleep quality, mental health status, and associated factors among medical workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted and medical workers in Ningbo, China were recruited. Sleep quality was evaluated by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Mental health status was evaluated by Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). Logistic regression and generalized multi-factor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) analysis were utilized to explore the risk factors and their interactions on sleep quality and mental health status. 207 participants were surveyed, and 34.30% were found with poor sleep quality (total PSQI score > 10), mainly manifested as sleep disturbance (92.75%). 27.05% were found with mental symptoms (Global severity index > 1.50), mainly manifested as obsessive–compulsive (25.60%). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that male (OR 3.89, 95% CI 1.06–14.24,
P
 = 0.04), working years > 15 years (OR 4.51, 95% CI 1.56–13.00,
P
 = 0.01), nurse (OR 5.64, 95% CI 1.35–23.63,
P
 = 0.02), more night shifts (OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.31–7.34,
P
 = 0.01), and supporting Wuhan (OR 3.41, 95% CI 1.12–10.40,
P
 = 0.03) were associated with poor sleep quality. GMDR analysis showed that there was a two-factor interaction between working years and working shifts (
P
 = 0.01). No significant factors and interactions were found associated with mental symptoms. In conclusions, about one-third of medical workers suffered from sleep and mental problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in the current study. Interventions for sleep and mental problems among medical workers were needed based on related factors.