Article ; Online: Emotional health concerns of oncology physicians in the United States: Fallout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 Volume 15, Issue 11, Page(s) e0242767
Abstract: ... in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight factors associated with and sources ... about COVID-19 were significantly associated with both anxiety and depression among oncology physicians ... of oncology providers across the United States and explore factors associated with anxiety and ...
| Abstract | Introduction: Cancer care is significantly impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Our objective was to evaluate the early effects of the pandemic on the emotional well-being of oncology providers across the United States and explore factors associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to United States cancer-care physicians recruited over a two-week period (3/27/2020-4/10/2020) using snowball-convenience sampling through social media. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). Results: Of 486 participants, 374 (77.0%) completed the PHQ-4: median age was 43 years; 63.2% female; all oncologic specialties were represented. The rates of anxiety and depression symptoms were 62.0% and 23.5%, respectively. Demographic factors associated with anxiety included female sex, younger age, and less time in clinical practice. Perception of inadequate personal protective equipment (68.6% vs. 57.4%, p = 0.03) and practicing in a state with more COVID-19 cases (65.8% vs. 51.1%, p = 0.01) were associated with anxiety symptoms. Factors significantly associated with both anxiety and depression included the degree to which COVID-19 has interfered with the ability to provide treatment to cancer patients and concern that patients will not receive the level of care needed for non-COVID-19 illness (all p-values <0.01). Conclusion: The perceived degree of interference with clinical practice along with personal concerns about COVID-19 were significantly associated with both anxiety and depression among oncology physicians in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight factors associated with and sources of psychological distress to be addressed to protect the well-being of oncology physicians. |
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| MeSH term(s) | Adult ; Aged ; Anxiety/psychology ; COVID-19/epidemiology ; COVID-19/psychology ; COVID-19/virology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Oncologists/psychology ; Pandemics ; Patient Health Questionnaire ; Personal Protective Equipment ; Psychological Distress ; SARS-CoV-2 ; United States/epidemiology |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2020-11-24 |
| Publishing country | United States |
| Document type | Journal Article ; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural |
| ZDB-ID | 2267670-3 |
| ISSN | 1932-6203 ; 1932-6203 |
| ISSN (online) | 1932-6203 |
| ISSN | 1932-6203 |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0242767 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
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