Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 64. No. 3, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2025.64.03.11
The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Workers in Primary Health Care
Marina Ćurlin
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Edita Černi Obrdalj
; aculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Family medicine service, Health Center Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragan Babić
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina ;School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nevenka Jelić-Knezović
; School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivana Soldo
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivan Vasilj
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina ;School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Violeta Šoljić
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina ;School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the mental
health of primary health care workers. This prospective research included 107 medical (51.5%) and
non-medical (48.5%) employees of Health Center (HC) Mostar. Data were gathered using a questionnaire
that contained the depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) and a validated short questionnaire
of human mental health (MHI-5) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents were
< 45 years of age. There was no statistically significant difference between medical and non-medical staff
on both the DASS-21 and MHI-5 scales. Also, no statistically significant difference was found in the
subcategorization of medical staff. The prevalence of stress in the subjects was 30%, anxiety 54% and depression
31%. A multivariate logistic regression model found that age > 45 years (OR = 0.509; P = 0.016)
and opiate use (OR = 0.203; P = 0.023) were positively associated with depression (P = 0.042). The overall
crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to various psychological difficulties in the general
population, but also in a significant percentage of healthcare workers at all levels of healthcare. Therefore,
new approaches are necessary in the treatment of the mentioned mental health problems.
Keywords
COVID-19; mental health; healthcare workers
Hrčak ID:
342937
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2025.
Visits: 466 *