Objective To understand the status of mental health, social support, and coping styles of medical personnel in COVID-19 designated hospitals in response to public health emergencies, and to explore the correlation between mental health and social support and coping styles.

Methods A general situation questionnaire, a psychological questionnaire for public health emergencies, a social support assessment scale, and a simple coping style scale were used to survey 1 326 medical staff in a novel coronavirus pneumonia designated hospital in a city in Sichuan Province, China. The relevant data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, single factor analysis, and correlation analysis.

Results There were 1 267 valid questionnaires. The total score of the public health emergency psychological evaluation of medical staff in the designated hospitals was 0.407 (0.481) points, the total social support score was 41.00 (13.00) points, and the total response mode score was 26.00 (14.00) points. The differences between doctors, nurses, and medical technicians were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that medical staff's total public health emergency psychological score was negatively correlated with social support scale total score, objective support, subjective support, and social support utilization rates; whereas positively correlated with the total score of the coping style and the negative coping style.

Conclusions The mental health of medical staff in designated hospitals was closely related to social support and coping styles. When responding to public health emergencies, medical staff was prone to psychological problems such as fear, neurasthenia, and depression, which should be paid attention to. Social support had a protective effect on the psychological stress of medical staff in designated hospitals, and 77.74% of medical staff adopted a negative coping style, which requires further in-depth study.