OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible impact of the financial crisis on the nursing and medical personnel’s mental health in the prefecture of Imathia, in north Greece and the influence of demographic, financial and professional data in occurrence of anxiety and depressive disorder.

METHODS: The sample constituted by 112 employees of nursing and medical personnel of public alongside private health institutions in the prefecture of Imathia. The survey was conducted by using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). The first part of the questionnaire comprised of demographic and questions regarding theis profession. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v23.

RESULTS: The 25% of the sample appear to be anxious, 16% depressed but only 4,46% experience stress. The variables that show strong correlations on anxiety and depression mostly affecting employees on the way they work/ live, and their psychopathology are age (increasing age), working sector (public or private sector) workers in the private sector are related to the occurrence of anxiety disorders), the years of work (both young workers and the most experienced show signs of anxiety disorders), marital status (widowed, divorced and married women, are more related to the occurrence of anxiety and depression), the salary reduction (the workers who have been reduced ≥200€ from their salary and above) and work insecurity.

CONCLUSIONS: Financial crisis created anxiety, stress and depression in nursing and medical employees of Imathia prefecture. Measures to provide work security are required in order to create a stable environment of health care workers.