| Summary: | Hung Manh Than,1,* Vuong Minh Nong,2,* Cap Trung Nguyen,1 Khiem Phu Dong,3 Hoa Thi Ngo,4 Tra Thu Doan,2 Nga Thu Do,2 Trang Huyen Thi Nguyen,5 Thanh Van Do,2 Co Xuan Dao,6 Tuan Quang Nguyen,6 Thach Ngoc Pham,3 Cuong Duy Do2 1Emergency Department, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam; 2Center for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam; 3National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam; 4Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 5Department of Public Health, Thang Long University, Hanoi, Vietnam; 6Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Cuong Duy DoCenter for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, No. 78, Giai Phong Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000, VietnamTel +84 983 264 868Email doduy.cuong@bachmai.edu.vnPurpose: Mental 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 Methods: We 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.Results: Among 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.Conclusion: We 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.Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, mental health, psychological distress, health-related quality-of-life, health workers
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