Health Anxiety among Educational Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected many educational systems worldwide. Understanding
educational workers’ mental health statuses can help them recover from the high rates of psychological
disorders they have experienced during the pandemic. As such, this study aimed to investigate the health
anxiety levels of educational workers and their association to sociodemographic variables during the
COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional approach using an online questionnaire was conducted in Saudi
Arabia between May 14 and 16, 2021. A total of 514 participants completed a two-part questionnaire,
which included sociodemographic information (e.g., gender, age, marital status, citizenship status,
education level, family members infected by COVID-19, time spent following COVID-19 news per day,
and history of mental illness) and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI). The findings revealed that
30.7% of the participants reported elevated levels of health anxiety. Furthermore, in a regression analysis,
women, single individuals, residents, and people with lower educational levels presented greater risk
factors for health anxiety. This study suggests that attention should be given to the most vulnerable groups
of educational workers by providing them with supportive programs.