• Hung Manh Than, Minh NongVuongVCenter for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam., Cap Trung Nguyen, Khiem Phu Dong, Hoa Thi Ngo, Thu DoanTraTCenter for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam., Nga Thu Do, Huyen Thi NguyenTrangTDepartment of Public Health, Thang Long University, Hanoi, Vietnam., Thanh Van Do, Xuan DaoCoCBach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam., Quang NguyenTuanT0000-0003-4039-8706Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam., Thach Ngoc Pham, and Duy DoCuongC0000-0002-1565-642XCenter for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam..
• Emergency Department, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam.
• Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2020 Jan 1; 13: 2927-2936.

PurposeMental health is an important component of the protection strategy for healthcare workers (HCWs). However, it has not been well described in Vietnam during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to measure the psychological distress and health-related quality-of-life among frontline healthcare workers during the peak of the outbreak in Vietnam.Patients And MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey on 173 health workers at two national tertiary hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam from March to April 2020. The psychological distress was measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21), Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). EQ-5D-5L was used to determine the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes.ResultsAmong 173 HCWs, the proportion of reported depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress was 20.2%, 33.5%, and 12.7%, respectively. The median EQ-5D-5L index score was 0.93 (IQR=0.85-0.94), and the anxiety/depression aspect had the highest reported problems. The most COVID-19-specific concerns among frontline HCWs were the reduction of income (59%) and the increase of living costs (54.3%). HCWs working in the COVID-19-designated hospital had a significantly higher rate of mental health problems and had a lower HRQoL outcome than those working in non-COVID-19-designated hospitals. Other factors associated with psychological distress and sleep problems include age, job title, income, chronic diseases status, and years of working in healthcare settings. HCWs who were ≥30 years old, had higher working years, had higher incomes, and had mental health and sleep problems were more likely to have lower HRQoL scores.ConclusionWe reported a moderate rate of psychological distress and lower HRQoL outcomes among frontline HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam. Various factors were found to be associated with mental health and HRQoL that might be useful for implementing appropriate interventions for HCWs in low-resource settings.© 2020 Manh Than et al.

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