Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression, Stress, and Anxiety among Respiratory Therapists between two Tertiary Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress levels and observe its associated factors among respiratory therapists between two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, after getting the Ethical approval and consent, the questionnaire was sent to 355 RTs, 112 had responded to the questionnaire across two tertiary hospitals between Riyadh and Jeddah cities in Saudi Arabia. Along with the items of socio-demographic characteristics we have used a validated DASS scale which consists of 21 items. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 version statistical software.

Results: Out of 112 study subjects, 61.6% of females, 47.3% of married, and 58% of the participants were Saudi nationals. In this study, we have found 6.3% of moderate stress levels, 4.5% of extreme severity anxiety, and 2.7% of severe depression levels. The stress and depression scores are significantly associated with characteristics of RTs: age, gender, and nationality (p<0.05) and when it comes to anxiety, only age (p=0.012) was associated.

Conclusion: This study concludes that the severity of anxiety, depression, and stress levels were found to be low among RTs, whereas their age, gender, and nationality were associated with stress and depression. Even though the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress was low, this study may raise awareness of the necessity for hospital directors to offer education and policies to assist RTs in avoiding depression, stress, and anxiety. Also, further studies need to be done in the psychosocial scope of RTs.