Kamuran Cerit - Department of Nursing Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

Background: Pandemics such as COVID-۱۹ create heightened fear and anxiety, causing deterioration in the behaviours, social and psychological well-being of people. It can be thought that the anxiety levels of healthcare workers will increase more because they have a higher risk of contamination, work under COVID-۱۹ isolation-measures and heavy workload.Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the COVID-۱۹-related anxiety levels of individuals, the ways of coping with, the demographic factors affecting anxiety, and whether the anxiety level of healthcare workers is different from others.Methods: This study was carried out with data obtained from ۱۰۱۷ participants via google forms between May-July ۲۰۲۰. In the collection of data, the ۱۲-item COVID-۱۹-related anxiety scale, which was developed by researcher and analysed for validity and reliability; ۱۳ items for ways of coping; some demographic questions were used. The COVID-۱۹-related anxiety scale consisted of three dimensions: “cognitive”, “physiological and emotional”, “behavioural”, which explained ۷۱% of the variance. The Cronbach alpha of scale was ۰.۸۵.Results: The COVID-۱۹-related anxiety levels of participants were slightly above the moderate level (۲.۸۳±۰.۷۲). The anxiety levels of healthcare workers were not different from others. There was a difference in anxiety levels according to demographic characteristics of participants, such as age, gender, living in Turkey or abroad, working status/type, and smoking addiction. Cognitive coping, social support, distraction, relaxation techniques were identified as ways of coping with anxiety.Conclusion: COVID-۱۹ pandemic created anxiety in people. More studies need to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic.

COVID-۱۹, anxiety, coping skills, Healthcare Workers, Demographic factors