Evaluation of Hypochondriasis Caused by COVID-19 and its Related Factors among Staff of an Oil Refinery Located in South of Iran

The prevalence of COVID-19 disease has led to many mental disorders, including hypochondriasis. This study aimed to investigate the hypochondriasis caused by COVID-19 disease and its related factors among the staff of an oil refinery located in the south of Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, the study sample included workers with different occupations in an oil refinery. Subjects were selected through a random sampling approach based on the inclusion criteria. The instruments used in this study included a demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire, and Evans Questionnaire. Questionnaires and instructions were provided to the workers through social media networks. In total, 78 percent of the questionnaires were completed correctly and returned to the research team. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 22)  through descriptive tests, analysis of variances (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficient.

Based on the obtained results, 186 out of 275 cases obtained a score from 1 to 20 and were included in the group of healthy individuals. In addition, 89 cases showed mild to severe symptoms of hypochondriasis. The results of the one-way ANOVA analysis indicated that the hypochondriasis score was significantly different in different groups of variables of age, jobs experiences, the application of protective means, history of COVID-19, and attention to preventive measures (P<0.05).

The condition of the workplace has a significant relationship with the prevalence of hypochondriasis symptoms caused by COVID-19. Therefore, the improvement of the workplace environment can increase the probability of compliance with health protocols and reduce the rate of hypochondriasis among the staff.