HEALTH ANXIETY AND STRESS AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS DURING COVID-19 IN CAPE COAST, GHANA.

Abstract

  The aim of this study was to investigate experiences of Health Anxiety and Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare professionals in selected hospitals in the Cape Coast Metropolis. This study adopted the Descriptive survey design. The Multistage Sampling technique was used to select 322 health professionals. The health professionals included Medical Officers, Physician Assistants and Nurses. Data analyses were gathered using the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-SF) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Analyses were done using mean and standard deviation, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The findings showed that healthcare professionals in the Cape Coast Metropolis experienced low levels of health anxiety and stress during the current COVID-19 pandemic. There were no significant differences in the experiences of health anxiety and stress with regard to the categories of health professionals. The results revealed that health anxiety and stress were not significantly correlated. Further empirical studies are needed to understand why anxiety may not necessarily be related to stress. The findings of the study provide insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological wellbeing of health professionals involved in the care of patients with COVID-19. The current study provides new knowledge for health professioanls and other stakeholders.   Keywords: Health anxiety, stress, health professionals, COVID-19