AUTHOR=Yin YuanYuan , Han Sizhu , Guan Jiaoqiong , Wang DuanWei , Wang HaiRong , Yuan Ti-Fei , Yang Ying 

TITLE=Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among healthcare workers during the Omicron era

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1140511

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1140511

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant psychological stress among healthcare workers. This study aimed to clarify the factors that influenced health workers’ posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. 
Method: A total of 443 healthcare workers from eight Shandong Mental Health Centers were recruited to attend an online survey. Participants completed self-evaluation measures of exposure to the COVID-19 environment and PTSD symptoms, as well as measures of potential protective factors such as euthymia and perceived social support. 
Results: About 45.37% of healthcare workers had severe symptoms of PTSD symptoms. Healthcare workers with more serious PTSD symptoms were significantly related to higher exposure to COVID-19 (r=0.177, p<0.001), as well as lower levels of euthymia (r=-0.287, p<0.001) and perceived social support (r=-0.236, p<0.001). The structural equation model (SEM) further revealed that the impact of exposure to COVID-19 on PTSD symptoms was partially mediated by euthymia, and moderated by perceived social support, especially from others (e.g.  friends, leaders, relatives and colleagues). 
Conclusion: These findings suggested that improving the state of euthymia, getting social support from others could alleviate PTSD symptoms among healthcare workers during the COVID-19.