Psychological and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Iranian rehabilitation specialists

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate professor, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

2 M.Sc., Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

3 Ph.D., Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

4 Ph.D., Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: The spread of various pandemics and other outbreaks is inevitable, and rehabilitation specialists are the most exposed groups due to working with disabled patients. This study evaluates the correlation between COVID-19 anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), social participation, and coping styles during the pandemic with demographic information of Iranian rehabilitation specialists.
 
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study in 2022, 300 Iranian rehabilitation specialists were selected randomly. They responded to the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS), OCD Assessment Tool, Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ), Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ), and the demographic checklist. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, ANOVA test, and SPSS 22.
 
Results: The mean scores for anxiety (18.70) and OCD (86.47) were in the moderate range, and that of social participation (34.12) was in the severe range. For coping styles, the greatest (15.1) and least (12.15) mean scores were found for problem-solving and confrontative coping styles. There were significant correlations when comparing the main variables with the demographic variables.
 
Conclusion: Rehabilitation specialists experienced substantial anxiety and OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, their social participation, which needs to be at a top level, was severely restricted. In addition, some significant relationships in demographic variables imply that some people are more susceptible in society. This finding is of paramount importance in adopting strategies to deal with crises.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 26, Issue 4
July and August 2024
Pages 245-252

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