At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the greatest struggle was given in secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions. With the prolonged recovery period and late COVID complications, this burden has shifted to primary health care institutions. This situation increased the workload and stress of family physicians working in primary care and thus increased their perceived anxiety. In this study, perceived anxiety levels of family physicians were measured.
In our study, the trait anxiety score of primary care physicians was 43.40 ± 8.50, and the state anxiety score was 48.09 ± 11.55. In a study conducted in Indonesia in 2021, state anxiety was found to be 39.63 ± 11.54 and trait anxiety 39.42 ± 7.99 [9]. The low level of state anxiety in this study may be due to the decrease in the number of COVID cases, an increase in vaccination and immunization studies, and, as a result, being used to the pandemic situation, due to the fact that this study was conducted in the last period.
A positive significant correlation was found between trait and state anxiety. In the literature review, a positive and significant difference was found between anxiety scores in the study of Yildirim and Atas [24]. This study was conducted with dentistry students. It is about a process that requires face-to-face communication and close-range examination. As the literature supports, stressful situations increase the level of perceived anxiety.
In our study, the gender difference did not make a significant difference on these scores. In the literature, it has been seen that there are different results in this area. In the study of Hacimusalar et al. with healthcare professionals [25] and in the study of Yildirim and Atas, gender does not make a significant difference on anxiety scores [24]. In the study conducted in Italy by Naldi et al. [26], the study of Karasu et al. with healthcare workers [19], the study of Sert et al. with emergency service workers [22], and the study of Sogutlu et al. with healthcare workers [23], it was shown that gender difference creates a significant difference in anxiety scores. The fact that there are different results in this area shows that new studies should be done in this area.
In this study, marital status did not make a significant difference on state and trait anxiety, similarly, the study of Sert et al. [22] and the study of Sogutlu et al. [23] did not make a significant difference on marital status anxiety scores, and our study was compatible with the literature.
In the study, it was observed that having a child did not make a significant difference on anxiety scores. In the study conducted in Italy [26], in the study of Karasu et al. [19], and in the study of Sert et al., having a child creates a significant difference on anxiety scores [22]. The literature contradicts our work in this area. Due to the high levels of anxiety in both those who have and do not have children, we may not have found a difference in our study.
Having trouble with child care during the pandemic had a significant effect on the anxiety score. Similarly in the literature, in the study of Hacimusalar, the anxiety scores of those who had childcare difficulties were significantly higher [25]. At the same time, the anxiety score of those who have a risky relative in terms of COVID was found to be high, and in the literature, the anxiety score of those who have a risky individual at home was found to be higher [25]. These situations can be considered as effective stressor factors that increase the level of anxiety.
Presence of chronic disease had a significant effect on both trait and state anxiety, similarly in the study of Kızılkurt et al. [27] and the study of Karasu et al. [19]. Conditions such as the presence of chronic disease increase the level of perceived anxiety. Our study is compatible with the literature in these results.
Receiving psychiatric support treatment before and during the pandemic made a significant difference on anxiety scores. Similarity is observed in the study of Kızılkurt et al. [27]. It has been observed that experiencing mental depression during the pandemic process creates a significant difference on anxiety scores. Similarly, in the study of Kurt et al., depression has a significant effect on anxiety scores [28]. The effect of the fear of transmitting COVID to their relatives on anxiety was statistically insignificant, and it was seen that there was a significant difference in the study of Kurt et al. [28]. The fact that psychiatric characteristics showed similar characteristics in our study and in the literature shows that they directly affect anxiety levels.
While smoking status had a significant effect on state anxiety, it was observed that it did not have a significant effect on trait anxiety. Smoking status is not significant in the study of Sert et al. [22].Our work in this area is compatible with the literature.
