ABSTRACT
Background: The Covid 19 outbreak has been one of its kind in terms of the far reaching and widespread impact. The mental health effects of Covid 19 may shape the psychological framework of the population for many years. The present study aims to investigate the demographic determinants of age, gender and occupational type on the psychological impact of Covid 19 outbreak. Methodology: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) & Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to study the psychological impact. Role of gender, age & type of occupation in perceived stress was also studied. Independent sample t test and Pearson correlation coefficient were performed to derive inferences from the data. Results: Age, gender and type of occupation did not have much impact on the perceived stress level however the participants perceived stress level directly strongly correlates with experience of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Conclusion: Perceived stress was low in the initial phases of the pandemic and was not mediated by age, gender and type of occupation. The measures undertaken to curb the pandemic had a positive influence on mental health as it helped to keep perceived stress to be low. Perceived stress is directly correlated to actual experience of stress, depression & anxiety and hence avoiding sharing of stress inducing information is important. In this context, media coverage can play a part by focusing on positive news of recovery and discouraging stress triggering messages in order to keep perceived stress factor low