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Amir Kabunga,1 Ponsiano Okalo2 1Department of Psychology, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya; 2Department of Psychiatry, Lira University, Lira, UgandaCorrespondence: Amir KabungaDepartment of Psychology, Egerton University, P.O. BOX 536, Njoro, KenyaTel +256777929576Email amirkabs2017@gmail.com; akabunga@egerton.ac.keBackground: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ugandan healthcare system was already under severe strain due to a lack of human resources, poor working conditions, and poor management. At the center of these challenges are nurses, the backbone of the health system. This study investigated post-traumatic stress disorder and associated predictive factors during the second wave of COVID-19 among frontline nurses in the country.Participants and Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted among 601 nurses between May and June 2021. Post-traumatic stress disorder was assessed using PTSD Checklist-Civilian. The bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors predicting PTSD. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant at 95% CI.Results: The estimated prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder was 65.7%. In the multivariate logistic regression, the predictive factors of PTSD among the study participants were social support (AOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 034– 0.60; p ≤ 0.001), fear of getting infected with COVID-19 (AOR: 3.10; 95% CI: 2.17– 4.43; p < 0.001) and increased workload (AOR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.16– 2.34; p < 0.001).Conclusion: The results of the study highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of front-line nurses. Assessing PTSD among nurses may increase the understanding of COVID-19 induced mental health issues. Identifying the risk factors like lack of social support and heavy workload and providing treatment is essential given that various waves of COVID-19 seem inevitable. Supportive strategies like counseling should be provided to the nurses to prevent or manage PTSD.Keywords: frontline nurses, post-traumatic stress, COVID-19, Uganda |
