METHODS
A prospective study was performed on HCWs at a tertiary-level university hospital in Dublin, Ireland. The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (CWIUH) is one of the largest providers of women’s healthcare in Europe, delivering almost 9000 babies annually and serving the diverse urban population of this European capital city.
The anonymous online survey was distributed to HCWs in all departments of the hospital.
The Generalized-Anxiety-Disorder-7(GAD-7)5 and Patient-Health-Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9)6 scores were used to analyze severity of anxiety and depression (A&D). The composite questionnaire included questions assessing previous mental health status, coping strategies and support mechanisms.
Survey responses were analyzed using statistical software (IBM-SPSS-Version-24.0). Median and range PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were compared using Mann-Whitney-U or Kruskal-Wallis-H tests. Due to rapid emergence of the pandemic, the study had executive ethical approval.