1. INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 virus, which has been on the global agenda for more than a
year, has produced massively devastating consequences. It is obvious
that besides the physical and clinical symptoms caused by the COVID-19,
there are also psychologically negative consequences of the disease. The
COVID-19 pandemic has had some alarming impacts in terms of emotional
and social functionality related to the mental health of individuals and
society.1 One of the groups most affected by such
negative effects is undoubtedly healthcare workers.
Recent studies have shown that anxiety and despondency are considerably
higher in healthcare workers, and that factors such as increased weekly
working hours and increased number of patients with the COVID-19 are
associated with the states of depression and
anxiety.2,3
Other causes of increased anxiety and depression in healthcare workers
may be directly related to the anxiety of being infected with the
COVID-19, the uncertainty about the duration of the pandemic, and new
places of work associated with the pandemic. In this context, the
relevant authorities in Turkey have attempted to eliminate the negative
consequences by means of certain methods such as additional financial
supports or flexible working arrangements where possible. COVID-19
vaccinations, which have recently been intensified in our country and in
the world, may also be one of the factors to exert a positive influence
on healthcare workers against the states of anxiety and stress
associated with the pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 virus is an important public health issue not only in
our country but also all over the world, it has been aimed to protect
health and prevent the spread of the virus through measures taken for
the sake of the people and the environment when it comes to the
management of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, protective and
preventive health care services have gained considerable importance.
Family physicians, who are the backbone of preventive health care
services, have undertaken great responsibilities in various fields in
the management of the process since the beginning of the pandemic.
Triage, treatment, monitoring, efficient use of resources and providing
cost-effective care are among these areas of
responsibility.4 Family physicians are also considered
as the building blocks of surveillance efforts because they are
intertwined with families and individuals in social
life.5
The contact tracing procedures in Turkey, which have been strictly
applied under the leadership of family physicians, not only help detect
source patients and their contacts, but also ensure that infected cases
are isolated and people with close contacts are quarantined. In the
management of the process, family physicians in hospitals work in the
departments such as pandemic triage and pandemic service, whereas those
in family health care centres monitor the infected patients from among
those registered to them through close follow-up. In addition, with the
latest developments, family physicians have been given more active
duties and responsibilities in the vaccination process for the purpose
of controlling the pandemic.
The efforts and sacrifices of family physicians, who deliver protective
and preventive health care services to the public and are in close
contact with individuals in the society, have been of undeniable
importance, especially during the management of the pandemic. However,
considering the weariness and length of the process, it is reckoned that
family physicians, like all health workers, have increased anxiety,
stress, and depression. The current study, therefore, has aimed to
evaluate the extent of anxiety and work-related stress associated with
the COVID-19 pandemic in family physicians who play an active and
efficient role in the management of the pandemic in addition to
examining the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on such circumstances.