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Perceived stress in different countries at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

2021; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 57; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/00912174211033710

1541-3527

Sinta Gamonal-Limcaoco, Enrique Montero-Mateos, María Teresa Lozano-López, Ana Maciá-Casas, Juan Matías-Fernández, Carlos Roncero,

Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout

The coronavirus has spread around the world, causing an ongoing pandemic. After the lockdown and quarantine protocols, an evaluation of the population's current emotional state was made through a web-based survey available in both English and Spanish. The objective was to observe how respondents perceived stress and worry as a result of COVID-19. The survey gathered data across three sections: socio-demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Cohen, and additional queries on current worries and behaviors due to this pandemic. The survey received 1523 respondents from 48 countries. The mean of the PSS-10 score was 17.4 (SD 6.5). Significantly higher scores were observed among women, young adults, students, and those who expressed concern about getting infected and considered themselves high-risk. No significant differences were observed between health professionals and other professions. We describe an increase in stress levels due to the COVID-19 and point out groups at high risk. These findings could help to address the mental health care that is needed.