Gender differences in the psychopathological impact of the third pandemic wave of SARS-CoV-2 on healthcare workers: results of the ‘COVID-19 Stress-Test’ study at Teramo hospital

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has subjected healthcare workers to strong emotional pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological well-being, and analyze the gender differences in the perception of workrelated stress during the third pandemic wave in a large sample of physicians and nurses at Teramo hospital. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the period from May 2021 to June 2021, administering the following scales to the participants of different departments and services, through a reserved platform: Stress and Anxiety during the Viral Epidemic (SAVE-9), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Irritability-Depression-Anxiety Scale (IDAS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Revised (IUS-R). Results. Data from 1,445 healthcare workers overall, with a mean age of 44.2 (+12.1 SD) years, were evaluated. Of these, 72.4% were women and 27.6% were men. Higher levels of burnout, irritability, hopelessness and anxious/depressive symptoms were found among women than men. Healthcare professionals directly involved in COVID-19 wards presented higher levels of anxiety, irritability, hopelessness, and greater stress related to the pandemic, but not greater depressive symptoms, intolerance to uncertainty, burnout, or alexithymia. Finally, all healthcare workers who contracted SARSCoV-2 infection showed significant levels of psychological distress. Discussion. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have experienced significant emotional overload and high levels of stress, with psychopathological repercussions differentiated by gender.