PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE MENTHAL HEALTH IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING A RECURRING WAVE OF COVID-19

The purpose of the study is to prioritize psychosocial risk factors in healthcare workers during a wave of Covid-19. Methods: Cross-sectional survey was conducted among 665 health care workers from hospital, outpatient, and emergency care settings in 9 cities in Southern Bulgaria. The survey included 29 questions on psychosocial risks at work and 21 questions on self-rated manifestations of depression, anxiety and stress (DASS 21). Binary logistic regression was used to explore the association between depression, anxiety and stress with psychosocial risk factors. Results: Priority psychosocial risks include the lack of adequate training in an epidemic setting, insufficient experience in treating infectious patients, uncertainty about the implemented counter-epidemic measures, and poor communication within work teams when discussing problems and making decisions. The intensity of the workload, lack of recognition and uncertainty in the work performed have a significant influence on the mental health. There are other contributing personal factors, such as anxiety about patients' lives, anxiety about one's own health and safety, and that of one's relatives, and the conflict between work and social life. Some form of mental health disorder was identified in 40% of the healthcare workers. Conclusion: The results show the need for training sessions at all levels on safe and professional behaviour during a pandemic, improved management and communication in work teams, personalised interventions to support the mental health of workers.