Sleep Disturbance and Anxiety among Nurses after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an obvious impact on the mental health of healthcare workers, including nurses who have been at the forefront of managing patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the mental health of nurses who worked at Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman City, Iran, after the pandemic of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: 400 nurses have been enrolled in a cross-section study. We used a questionnaire to collect demographic and occupational information and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to assess mental health. Results: 84% of nurses had problems related to mental health, with anxiety being the most common symptom followed by sleep disorder and depression. Social problems were also prevalent among the nurses. There was no statistically sig- nificant difference in mental health between men and women or across different age groups, education levels, or work experience in the COVID-19 ward. However, there was a significant difference in the mental health of nurses with dif- ferent shift intervals and those working more than 15 shifts who had higher mental health scores. There was no statisti- cally significant difference in mental health of night shift nurses and day shift nurses. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for interventions to promote mental health among nurses who have worked in the wards related to COVID-19