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The mental health status of Turkish healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Risk and protective factors

  • 0Çankırı Karatekin University, Uluyazı Campus Vocational School of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work, Çankiri Türkiye.
Psychiatria Danubina +

|

June 14, 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND

During the pandemic, healthcare professionals were at high risk for both virus transmission and the development of mental disorders. This study aimed to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare professionals working in various healthcare institutions in Turkey.

SUBJECT AND METHODS

Between June 1st and 15th 2020, a convenient sample of 343 Turkish healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, dentists, social workers/psychologists, health technicians, and administrative staff) via online Google Forms. Participants completed a structured questionnaire (32 questions), the Turkish version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28).

RESULTS

The pandemic affected the mental health of almost half of healthcare professionals (47.8 %, GHQ-28 ≥ 5,). The factors significantly affecting the GHQ-28 total score include gender, age, psychiatric medication use, finding adequate workplace measures, workplace psychosocial support, needing psychosocial support, exclusion/stigma, weekly working hours and increased workload. These factors are associated with increased somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, depression and social functioning impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the importance of these factors in understanding and managing the mental health issues of healthcare professionals, particularly those on the front lines staff during the times of global health crises.

Keywords:

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