Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people worldwide. In Spain, the first wave was especially severe. Objectives: This study aimed to identify sources and levels of distress among Spanish primary care physicians (PCPs) during the first wave of the pandemic (April 2020). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey that included sociodemographic data, a description of working conditions related to distress [such as gaps in training in protective measures, cleaning, and hygiene procedures in work setting, unavailability of personal protective equipments (PPEs) and COVID-19 RT-PCR test, and lack of staff due to be infected] and a validated scale, the ‘Self-applied Acute Stress Scale’ (EASE). The survey was answered by a non-probability sampling of PCPs working in family healthcare centres from different regions of Spain. Analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed. Results: In all, out of 518 PCP participants, 123 (23.7%) obtained high psychological distress scores. Only half of them had received information about the appropriate use of PPE. PCP characteristics associated with higher levels of distress include female gender [1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54, 2.84]; lack of training in protective measures (1.96; 95% CI 0.94, 2.99); unavailable COVID-19 RT-PCR for health care workers after quarantine or COVID-19 treatment (−0.77 (−1.52, −0.02). Reinforcing disinfection of the work environment ( P < 0.05), availability of PPEs ( P < 0.05), and no healthcare professional was infected ( P < 0.05) were related to the lowest distress score. Conclusions: A better understanding of the sources of distress among PCPs could prevent its effect on future outbreaks.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Infectious diseases, Occupational stress, Stress, mental health, occupational/environmental medicine, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, Personal protective equipment, primary care, pandemic, quarantine, cross-sectional, COVID-19 pandemic, RT-PCR, Outbreaks, Region, Characteristics, Measures, healthcare, Spain, PPE, Health care worker, information, First wave, Protective, Healthcare professional, RT-PCR test, distress, hygiene, Participants, 95% CI, 95% confidence interval, Linear regression analysis, female gender, measure, physician, sociodemographic data, Spanish, Prevent, lowest, identify, performed, lack, include, conducted, condition, affecting, high psychological distress, Reinforcing, 【제목키워드】 primary care, cross-sectional, Psychological distress, First wave, physician, Source,