Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers between 2022 and 2023 in a Romanian COVID-19 Hub Hospital

We assessed depression, anxiety, and stress in healthcare workers (HCWs) in 2023 and the evolution of depression in 2023 compared with 2022. In September-November 2023, 181 HCWs from the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress 21 Scale (DASS-21 R), the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). The prevalence of moderate-to-severe levels was 13.8% for DASS-Depression, 18.8% for DASS-Anxiety, 16.1% for DASS-Stress, 19.9% for PHQ-9, and 18.2% for HAM-A. Moderate-to-severe PHQ-9 depression was significantly lower in the 2023 study group (19.9%, N = 181) compared with 2022 (30.6%, N = 114) (p = 0.04), also within the 2022-2023 follow-up participants (N = 88) (p = 0.03). We did not find significant statistical differences between those infected vs. non-infected, vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated, or working with vs. not working with SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Males were significantly more stressed (p = 0.02) and anxious (p = 0.03), and physicians in training had the highest prevalence of moderate-to-severe depression (31.6%), followed by physicians (25.6%). In 2023, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms decreased but remained within a concerning range. By addressing these psychological issues, we may reduce the possibility of medical errors and prevent professional crises in the healthcare system.