Carmen Baldonedo-Mosteiro

The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused serious psychological consequences in the general population and particularly in health professionals. Among these, a group that is considered at risk is nurses who found themselves working on the front lines. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among Spanish nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic and to determine the correlation between anxiety, depression and associated factors. Design: A cross‐sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted. Methods: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for the evaluation of anxiety and depression symptoms. The study was carried out during the months of February to May 2021. An online form was used due to the difficulties in carrying out in‐person research as a result of health restrictions. Information about the study, sociodemographic variables, variables related to COVID‐19 and the HADS was sent. Results: Of the total sample, 73.1% presented any anxiety symptoms and 44.1% presented any depression symptoms. Conclusions: Anxiety symptoms were associated with female sex, living with parents, schedule changes, perceiving high exposure, fear, no sport/recreation and stressful work; depression associated with stressful work and absence of fear; and depression cooccurred with anxiety. Depression symptoms were associated with stressful work and absence of fear. These data should be valuable for the dissemination of occupational health policies regarding anxiety and depression detection and further psychological support of nurses and promote both physical and psychological well‐being among this professional group.

Aims and Objectives: To determine the prevalence and levels of anxiety and depression symptoms among nursing students during the coronavirus lockdown, and to examine factors associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression on this population.Background: Nursing students deal with diverse stressors during their university lives. Confinement measures during COVID‐19 outbreak may have influenced students' mental health and well‐being. Anxiety and depression are common among nursing students due to different factors. Evidence relating to anxiety and depression in nursing student population during SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic is limited.Design: A cross‐sectional descriptive co‐relational study during the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak in Spain was conducted.Methods: An online questionnaire was developed by using google forms. Sociodemographic characteristics form, and the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. Spanish nursing students across the country were enrolled. Data collection was performed between 4 April 2020 and 21 April 2020. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the association between sociodemographic variables, COVID‐19 and HADS scores.Results: 1319 participants were enrolled. The sample was formed by 87.1% female students with a mean age of 22 years (SD ± 5.677). We found a mean score of 8.47 ± 4.104 on Scale HADS‐Anxiety and 6.80 ± 2.988 on HADS‐Depression. 31.6% students presented abnormal scores of anxiety symptoms, and only 11.4% participants revealed abnormal scores on HADS‐Depression.Conclusions: The reported prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms on nursing students during the COVID‐19 lockdown is 56.4% and 38.2%, respectively. 43.6% of the sample scored normal anxiety levels, and 61.8% obtained normal depression levels. Higher anxiety and depression levels were statistically associated with being a first‐year student, being a smoker, feeling fear, feeling stress and having any close family member infected.Relevance to clinical practice: These data should be valuable for detection and for further treatment decision of this disorders at the initial stage and could be important to prevent further damages to mental health and promote physical, psychological and well‐being among this population.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among Spanish community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was designed. An online survey was administered to participants from 4 to 21 April 2020 using a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic information and the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Informed consent to participate was requested. Participants comprised 1162 pharmacy staff from Spain with an average age of 39.15 ± 9.718, from 20 to 65 years old, of whom 83% were women, and 50.6% were married. More than half of the participants expressed symptoms of depression (62.7%) and anxiety (70.9%). An important prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms has been detected among Spanish pharmacists and pharmacy technicians during the COVID-19 lockdown. Being a woman, a non-smoker, feeling fear, feeling stress and believing that pharmacists/pharmacy technicians are very exposed to COVID-19 seem to be associated with higher HADS scores.