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Published on: January 7, 2019
Community pharmacists' perceptions and experiences of stress during COVID-19
Loreta Tobia1, Mario Muselli2, Fabio De Luca2
1Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, (MeSVA-UNIVAQ), Piazzale Salvatore Tommasi 1, 67100, Coppito, AQ, Italy. loreta.tobia@univaq.it.
Background:
Pharmacists play a crucial role in the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, performing frontline roles for the community, and supporting the healthcare system. This study aimed at investigating stress and its correlates among this category of workers at a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods:
The participants for this study were employees of the "Municipal Pharmaceutical Company" of L'Aquila (Italy). Data were collected using an anonymous, web-based, self-administered questionnaire. Two independent surveys were conducted, from June to July 2020, and in January 2021.
Results:
Two separate groups of respondents were involved: a total of 37 workers participated in the first survey (mean age 44.9 ± 10.7, 75.7% women) and 18 in the second survey (mean age 45.9 ± 9.2, 94.4% women). The average total scores of the perceived stress (GHQ-12 score) increased significantly from 15.5 to 18.2 (p = 0.0438), showing a moderate level of stress in the category investigated.
Conclusions:
We observed a strong emotional exhaustion in the study sample of pharmacists, who reported high-risk perceptions and fear. A comprehensive assistance should be granted to support the well-being of healthcare workers who provide an essential service, despite the high risk of infection.
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