Psychopathology in Spanish health professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic and associated socio-occupational and psychological factors

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the socio-occupational features, perceived stress, coping strategies and self-reported psychopathological symptoms of different groups of health professionals and the relationship among these variables during the Covid-19 pandemic. One hundred and thirty-five healthcare workers participated (medical staff, nursing staff and other health professionals), who obtained higher values than the normative data in the mean scores of perceived stress, phobic anxiety, and anxiety measures. The medical staff group showed a lower level of anxiety and somatization than the other group of healthcare professionals. Being a medical professional, having a lower level of perceived subjective stress, a greater proportion of active coping and lesser passive coping were significant predictors of fewer psychopathological symptoms. The description of a health professional profile with a lower risk of showing psychopathological symptoms can help identify healthcare groups with greater psychological vulnerability. The findings suggest specific psychological factors of interest to consider in interventions aimed at addressing the mental health needs of this population in the health context generated by Covid-19.