Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care workers: a cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the mental health of healthcare workers, yet studies in primary care workers are scarce.

To investigate the prevalence of and associated factors for psychological distress in primary care workers during the first COVID-19 outbreak.

This was a multicentre, cross-sectional, web-based survey conducted in primary healthcare workers in Spain, between May and September 2020.

Healthcare workers were invited to complete a survey to evaluate sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, COVID-19 infection status, exposure to patients with COVID-19, and resilience (using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), in addition to being screened for common mental disorders (depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, and substance use disorder). Positive screening for any of these disorders was analysed globally using the term 'any current mental disorder'.

A total of 2928 primary care professionals participated in the survey. Of them, 43.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 41.9 to 45.4) tested positive for a current mental disorder. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.61, 95% CI = 1.25 to 2.06), having previous mental disorders (OR 2.58, 95% CI = 2.15 to 3.10), greater occupational exposure to patients with COVID-19 (OR 2.63, 95% CI = 1.98 to 3.51), having children or dependents (OR 1.35, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.76 and OR 1.59, 95% CI = 1.20 to 2.11, respectively), or having an administrative job (OR 2.24, 95% CI = 1.66 to 3.03) were associated with a higher risk of any current mental disorder. Personal resilience was shown to be a protective factor.

Almost half of primary care workers showed significant psychological distress. Strategies to support the mental health of primary care workers are necessary, including designing psychological support and resilience-building interventions based on risk factors identified.