Limitations
This study utilises a self-designed eleven-domain survey form designed to assess the emotional and psychological stress. This survey is not standardized nor validated thus may limit its ability to reliably identify issues. As our department sees patients with suspected COVID-19 infection with only gynaecological or obstetrical issues, the overall psychological distress reflected in this paper may be underestimated when compared to physicians in the emergency department18.
In addition, this study did not adjust for possible comorbidities among participants, which may affect their resilience and ability to handle additional stress and workload during a pandemic. Mealer M et al reported a significant negative relationship between resilience and mental disorders19. When comparing the intensive care unit HCW, those with high level of resilience had less post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety symptoms and depression. As one in nine of our study respondents had low resilience scores, the department should develop ways to manage and follow up the potential long-term health issues that may affect HCW following the pandemic.
Moreover, resilience can be affected by numerous factors. The department has more female than male staff thus the comparison between gender may increase Type 1 error rates.