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The effects of compulsory isolation measures during the COVID‐19 pandemic: The example of prison workers
Author(s) -
Ayhan Fatma,
Balsak Habip,
Ayhan Veli
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.3528
Subject(s) - prison , anxiety , social isolation , depression (economics) , psychiatry , clinical psychology , isolation (microbiology) , psychology , medicine , criminology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Objective The aim of this research was to identify depression, anxiety, and perceived social support levels among prison workers and to determine the relationship between anxiety and depression and perceived social support. Methods The descriptive, cross‐sectional research was conducted between 15 November 2020, and 10 February 2021. The study sample consisted of 603 prison workers contacted using the convenience sampling method, consenting to take part in the research, and working under compulsory Covid‐19 isolation measures. A questionnaire produced in an electronic environment consisting of a personal information form, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) questions was employed. Results The mean GAD, PHQ and MSPSS scores of the prison workers working under compulsory isolation conditions were 18.38 ± 5.78, 14.30 ± 6.99, and 42.76 ± 20.27, respectively. Of the prison workers in this study, 71.5% exhibited severe depression symptoms and 21.4% moderate depression, while 25.5% exhibited severe anxiety symptoms and 23.4% moderate anxiety symptoms. MSPSS and its subdomains exhibited negative correlation with depression, and the MSPSS friends subdomain was negatively correlated with anxiety. Conclusion Anxiety and depression scores were at high levels in prison workers exposed to compulsory isolation during the Covid‐19 pandemic.