Assessing the Correlation Between the Level of Depressive Disorder and Quality of life in Employees Working in Covid-19 Reference Hospital in 2020

The widespread prevalence of new coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide can lead to many mental disorders. COVID-19 Care Frontline Staff, are one of the groups most strongly affected by the mental disorders caused by this disease. This study aimed to assess the correlation between the level of depressive disorder and quality of life in employees working in Covid-19 reference hospital in 2020.

This was descriptive-correlation census study performed on 496 employees of Hazrat Ali Asghar (AS) Hospital in Shiraz as the reference hospital for treatment of COVID-19 in southern Iran. Data collection tools were standard Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and WHOQOL-BREF quality of life questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, Pearson correlation coefficient and t-test and ANOVA by SPSS v. 23 software at a significance level of α=0.05.

The Mean±SD score of depression and quality of life of the studied employees were 35.8±9.2 (out of 63), 60.7±14.8 (out of 120) respectively. 49.6% and 87.5% of the employees had moderate levels of depression and quality of life, respectively. There was a significant and inverse correlation between depression and employees' quality of life (r=-0.612, P<0.001). Also between depression with education level (P=0.04), marital status (P=0.01), and type of occupation (P=0.03), and between quality of life and marital status (P=0.03) were observed a statistically significant relation.

Depression and quality of life of the employees were moderate level. Planning is recommended to improve the mental health of employees, use psychotherapy techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, develop and implement stress and anxiety management programs, and provide counseling services.