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.