Work-Life Balance and Mental Health of Egyptian and Saudi Health Professionals Managing COVID-19 Patients: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Since December 2019, the world fought the coronavirus disease, and the health care professionals were the most vulnerable group of people who suffered mentally and physically. The current study aimed to assess work-life balance and mental well-being among Saudi and Egyptian health care professionals managing COVID-19 patients. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was used.  Data were collected during the period from spring 2020 to the fall of 2021 to recruit 403 Egyptian and Saudi Health Care Professionals managing Covid patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Menoufia Governorate, Egypt.  Three main tools were used including demographic background, life balance scale, and Mental health inventory (MHI). The tools were submitted on an online Google Form through social media and networks. Results:  Out of a total of 403 study participants, 307 (76.2%) were female and 96 (23.8%) males, the majority (82.6 %) studied bachelor's degrees and more than two-thirds (68%, 65.3%) were working in the Frontline position and primary hospital respectively. In the mental health domains (anxiety, depression, behavioral control, psychological well-being, and total mental health domains), Saudi Arabian participants were significantly higher (27.06 ±4.48, 16.77±4.21) than Egyptian participants (22.69±4.37, 9.24 ±3.14). Additionally, the mental health inventory total score and behavioral control scores. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study concluded that the COVID-19 outbreak has a significant impact on the work-life balance score and mental well-being of health care professionals managing patients with COVID-19. A considerable proportion of health care professionals reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The mean score of life balance, behavioral control, psychological well-being, and total mental health domains were lower in Egyptian than in Saudi Arabia health care professionals. Therefore, an extensive rapid psychological intervention to promote mental well-being targeting those health care professionals needs to be implemented.