The stress of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and pro-health behaviors among medical personnel - preliminary report.

Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate pro-health behaviors as protective measures against symptoms of anxiety and depression in a group of healthcare workers during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. Material. 114 people participated in the study, including 46 medical doctors aged 41.10 ± 11.89 and 68 nurses aged 48.16 ± 8.54 years. Methods. The following scales were used for the research: the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results. Taking into consideration health behaviors, an average score of 79.61 ± 13.08 points in the HBI was obtained. In the BDI questionnaire, the respondents obtained an average of 3.7 ± 4.65 points. In the STAI questionnaire, in the part related to state anxiety, the mean result in the study group was 38.08 ± 9.46 points, and for trait anxiety 38.35 ± 8.44 points. Taking into account the components of the HBI, only the results obtained in the subscales: positive mental attitude (PMA) and pro-health activities (PhA) correlated negatively with the results obtained in the STAI and BDI scales. Moreover, the pro-health effect of PMA on the symptoms of anxiety and depression was observed. Conclusions. No significant intensification of anxiety and depressive symptoms was observed among medical personnel during the first wave of the pandemic. Health-promoting behaviors, and especially positive mental attitudes, may play a protective role in relation to the symptoms of anxiety and depression in stressful situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]