Relationship between mental health and quality of life among health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has serious consequences around the world, especially in the healthcare system. With a crucial role in the pandemic, mental health and quality of life among health care workers (HCWs) needs to be addressed.

Purposes: The study aimed to describe mental health and the health-related quality of life among HCWs and explore the relationship between mental health and quality of life among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 6 April to 19 April 2020 at nine hospitals in Vietnam. The questionnaire included participant's characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). De-pression and anxiety were defined as PHQ score ≥ 10 and GAD score ≥ 8, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data with a significant level at p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 3,757 HCWs were enrolled in the study. Proportions of de-pression and anxiety were 4.5% and 3.1%, respectively. The overall mean score of HRQoL was 73.4 ± 14.9 (possible score range from 0 to 100). Protective factors of HRQoL consisted of physical activity, ability to pay for medication, gender, and social status, while its risk factors included suspected COVID-19 symptoms, smoking status. HRQoL was associated with depression (B(95%CI) = -8.15 (-10.76 to -5.55) and anxiety (B(95%CI) = -6.87 (-9.99 to -3.75)), p<0.001.

Conclusion: There was a relationship between mental health and the health-related quality of life among HCWs. Integration of healthy lifestyles and psychological support can help improve mental health and quality of life for HCWs during the pandemic.