Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers are burdened by the clinical diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and public prevention. Many occupational factors such as high expectations, shortage of time, lack of skills, and social support can lead to stress. The objective of this study is to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on health workers in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study with a self-administered online questionnaire was used to measure the psychological well-being of emergency (ER) room and critical care unit health professionals in Saudi Arabia.
Results: The study included 120 individuals; multiple linear regressions indicated that the demographic variables sex and department had a significant influence on healthcare personnel’s psychological well-being. This emphasizes the development of more effective treatment options for healthcare professionals, particularly those at risk for psychological distress.
Conclusion: Psychological disorders were prevalent among intensive care unit (ICU) and ER healthcare workers. The independent risk factors for these psychological disorders among ICU and ER healthcare workers were the male gender, being in the ER department, the inadequate psychological support of the healthcare workers from the community.

Key words: COVID-19, Saudi Arabia, psychological effects, healthcare workers, mental health.