Psychological Well-being among Nursing Officers Working in a Tertiary Care Hospital During COVID-19 Pandemic, Sri Lanka

Nursing officers played an integral part in the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. This study assessed psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic among nursing officers working in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted in late 2020 among 228 nursing officers who had a high risk of COVID-19 exposure.  Sinhala versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) for anxiety were used to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety. A high level of stress (78.9%), annoyance and irritability than usual (60.5%) and difficulty in concentrating at work (40.8%) were reported as common psychological issues. A considerable proportion had mild depression (15.8%) followed by moderate (2.6%) with zero prevalence of severe depression. None of them had anxiety based on the SAS scale. Considering the overall mental well-being, 47.3% rated mental health and well-being as good or very good. Psychological well-being of nursing officers affected by recent COVID-19 pandemic. The necessity of tailored interventions to improve the mental health of nurses is recommended during a pandemic situation.