ArticleConflict and health2025
Psychological distress among healthcare workers in Kabul following the 2021 transition.
Article in Conflict and health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Integrating narrative medicine into post-genocide Rwandan healthcare: a call for trauma-responsive medical education.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) in conflict and post-conflict settings are particularly susceptible to psychological distress due to persistent occupational stress and limited systemic support. This study examined the prevalence of psychological distress among HCWs in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the wake of the political changes in August 2021.
methodsA cross-sectional survey study was conducted from September to October 2021 in 16 public tertiary hospitals in Kabul. The Afghan Symptoms Checklist (ASCL) was used to assess psychological distress and its related symptoms. Multivariable analysis using Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was performed to find the associated factors of psychological distress utilizing STATA 18.
resultsA total of 277 HCWs participated in the study, with 48.4% identifying as female. Approximately 62% had considered leaving Afghanistan, and 64% had witnessed colleagues emigrate. The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 25% (CI 95%: 19.9-30.6), with stress-induced reactivity as the most prevalent symptom (35%, CI 95%: 29.8-41.4). Female HCWs were significantly more likely to report sadness with social withdrawal and somatic distress (POR = 2.32, CI 95%: 1.07-5.02, p = 0.03) and stress-induced reactivity (POR = 2.56, CI 95%: 1.22-5.44, p = 0.013). A lack of optimism about the future was associated with higher odds of stress-induced reactivity (POR = 3.14, CI 95%: 1.55-6.38, p = 0.001), ruminative sadness without withdrawal (POR = 3.05, CI 95%: 1.68-6.24, p = 0.002), and sadness with withdrawal and somatic distress (POR = 3.73, CI 95%: 1.71-8.13, p = 0.001).
conclusionOne in four HCWs reported psychological distress, with stress-induced reactivity being the most common symptom. Female gender and pessimism about the future were key associated factors of elevated distress. The findings highlight the critical need for long-term mental health support programs specifically designed for HCWs, broader support within the health system, and continued research into how HCWs cope and build resilience.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.