Arie Zainul Fatoni, Indy Zahrotul Firdaus, Dearisa Surya Yudhantara, Frilya Rachma Putri, Ratri Istiqomah, Winarni Dian, Zuhrotun Ulya
Background & objective: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed significant stress on health workers adversely affecting their mental health and reducing their quality of life leading to impaired cognitive and emotional capacity, leading to suboptimal decision-making. This study examined the psychological status in health workers providing services in the COVID-19 ICU at tertiary hospital RSUD Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang and to identify groups at high risk. Methodology: The method used was a cross-sectional research method using an online form containing five forms to assess depression scores (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), burnout (MBI), spirituality (DSES), and self-compassion (SCS) and distributed to ICU health workers in COVID-19 ICU and those in regular ICU at RSUD Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang. Results: The results demonstrated a significant difference in anxiety levels between health workers in COVID-19 ICU and those in regular ICU (P = 0.024). Additionally, the sociodemographic group identified as being at significant risk for psychological distress was the resident group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic influences the psychological status of health workers, especially in the resident group, and indicates a high urgency to overcome problems to improve the performance of health workers. The study recommends further investigation and effective management of healthcare workers' mental health. Abbreviations: DSES: Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, ICU: Intensive Care Unit, MBI: Maslach Burnout Inventory, PHQ-9: Patient Health Questionnaire-9, SCS: Self-Compassion Scale. © 2026, Faculty of Anaesthesia, Pain and Intensive Care, AFMS. All rights reserved.
Department of Anesthesiology & Intensive Therapy, Dr. Saiful Anwar Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Jl. Jaksa Agung Suprapto No.2, Malang, 65111, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Saiful Anwar Hospital–Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Jl. Jaksa Agung Suprapto No.2, Malang, 65111, Indonesia
