Objective: Workload, occupational diseases, and conscientious and legal concerns may increase the risk of mental health disorders in pathologists. This study evaluated the prevalence, levels, and associated factors of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) among Turkish pathologists. Material and Methods: The ''Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21'' was applied online to pathologists. Results: One hundred sixteen physicians including residents, non-academic specialists, and academic specialists completed the scale. DAS rates were found to be 69%, 57.8%, and 68.1%, respectively. The most common severity levels were determined to be moderate for depression and stress, and mild for anxiety. DAS was most frequently observed in nonacademic specialists (p=0.024 for stress). DAS was more common in female (p=0.024 for anxiety, p=0.002 for stress), those who were married, had children, smokers, those working in underdeveloped regions, and in laboratories that frequently evaluated oncologic specimens. Respondents with regular physical activity, hobbies (p=0.008 for depression, p=0.038 for stress), and job satisfaction (p=0.006 for depression, p=0.004 for stress) had lower DAS rates. Respondents with higher laboratory infrastructure experienced more depression and anxiety. Respondents who had a personal microscope they regularly used at home had the lowest depression but the highest anxiety and stress rates (p=0.020 for anxiety). Respondents who did not use antidepressants but thought they should use them reported higher rates of DAS compared with respondents who used or did not use antidepressants (p=0.003 for anxiety, p=0.001 for stress). Conclusion: Most pathologists experience DAS. Our recommendation to pathologists is to engage in regular physical activity, find a hobby, and seek psychological support, when coping with DAS.
HALDIZ et al. (Thu,) studied this question.