Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico

Hernández-Díaz, Yazmín; Genis-Mendoza, Alma Delia; Fresán, Ana; González-Castro, Thelma Beatriz; Tovilla-Zárate, Carlos Alfonso; Juárez-Rojop, Isela Esther; López-Narváez, María Lilia; Martínez-Magaña, José Jaime; Nicolini, Humberto

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115622

Open AccessArticle

Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico

by

Yazmín Hernández-Díaz

^1,†

,

Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza

^2,†,

Ana Fresán

³

,

Thelma Beatriz González-Castro

¹

,

Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate

^4,*

,

Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop

⁵,

María Lilia López-Narváez

⁶,

José Jaime Martínez-Magaña

⁷

and

Humberto Nicolini

^7,*

¹

División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco 86205, Mexico

²

Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico

³

Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico

⁴

División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco 86650, Mexico

⁵

División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco 86150, Mexico

⁶

Hospital General de Yajalón “Dr. José Manuel Velasco Siles”, Secretaría de Salud, Yajalón, Chiapas 29932, Mexico

⁷

Laboratorio de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas, Neurodegenerativas y Adicciones, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5622; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115622

Submission received: 9 April 2021 / Revised: 6 May 2021 / Accepted: 16 May 2021 / Published: 25 May 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19)

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, emotions and perceived stressors by healthcare workers who were in contact with infected patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was applied. Data were collected from N = 263 healthcare workers in Tabasco State, Mexico. We developed and administered a questionnaire, which consisted of sociodemographic characteristics, plus four sections. The sections evaluated were (1) knowledge of COVID-19; (2) feelings/emotions during the COVID-19 outbreak; (3) factors that caused stress and (4) factors that helped to reduce stress. Surveyed individuals were divided into three groups: physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers. When we evaluated their knowledge of COVID-19 we observed that the majority of healthcare workers in the three groups reported that they knew about COVID-19. Physicians indicated that they felt insecure about practicing their profession (62.5%) due to the high risk of being in contact with SARS-CoV-2. With regards to stressor factors, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to their families was the main factor causing moderate to high stress (95.4%). Finally, we found that “your profession puts your life at risk” was the only factor associated with feeling nervous and scared (PR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.54–6.43). We recommended health education campaigns, introductory courses on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, management protocols and the provision of protection equipment to health workers in order to reduce personal and professional fears of contagion and to improve the health system in Mexico when facing epidemics.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; healthcare workers; Mexico; stress

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hernández-Díaz, Y.; Genis-Mendoza, A.D.; Fresán, A.; González-Castro, T.B.; Tovilla-Zárate, C.A.; Juárez-Rojop, I.E.; López-Narváez, M.L.; Martínez-Magaña, J.J.; Nicolini, H. Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5622. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115622

AMA Style

Hernández-Díaz Y, Genis-Mendoza AD, Fresán A, González-Castro TB, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Juárez-Rojop IE, López-Narváez ML, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nicolini H. Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(11):5622. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115622

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hernández-Díaz, Yazmín, Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza, Ana Fresán, Thelma Beatriz González-Castro, Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate, Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop, María Lilia López-Narváez, José Jaime Martínez-Magaña, and Humberto Nicolini. 2021. "Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11: 5622. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115622

APA Style

Hernández-Díaz, Y., Genis-Mendoza, A. D., Fresán, A., González-Castro, T. B., Tovilla-Zárate, C. A., Juárez-Rojop, I. E., López-Narváez, M. L., Martínez-Magaña, J. J., & Nicolini, H. (2021). Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5622. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115622

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Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico

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