Prevalence and Predictors of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Elderly during COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study from Central India.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, elderly people have been more prone to depression, anxiety and stress. During these trying times, they require more attention and support for their mental health. This cross-sectional study was performed with the duration of 06 months from March 2021 to August 2021 in AIIMS, Bhopal in the state of Madhya Pradesh, in central India. And the participants recruited by systematic random sampling from a population aged more than 60 years, those who were able to read and write Hindi or English and having at least one family member; who reported to AIIMS, Bhopal during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Those who were confirmed COVID-19 cases and undergoing treatment for the same, with diagnosed mental health disorders and who didn't give consent were excluded. A Google form based online semi-structured questionnaire along with DASS-21 scale was completed by participants. Elderly (>=60 years) will be selected. Of the 690 participants 7.25% reported mild to moderate depression, whereas 0.58 percent had severe or extremely severe depression. Mild to moderate anxiety were found in 9.56% of people, while 2.46% had severe or extremely severe anxiety. Mildly or moderately were stressed 4.78%, while 0.42% was severely or extremely anxious. Alcoholism and depression were found to have a statistically significant relationship (p=0.028). During the COVID-19 pandemic, elderly subjects who napped during the day were substantially less depressed (p=0.033). The older the respondents were, the more nervous they were during the pandemic (p=0.042). There is a link between alcohol consumption and stress (p=0.043) and it was seen that females were more stressed as compared to males (p=0.045). There was a strong correlation between participants' alcohol addiction and depressive symptoms. Psychological therapies for the elderly are thought to be necessary to enhance their psychological resilience and mental health. We need to tackle the stigma related to the COVID-19 and mental health issues.

Assessment of the Level of Stress among Dental Students During Covid-19 in Teaching Hospital of Sialkot, Pakistan

Objective: The check the level of stress due to COVID-19 in dental students. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Oral Biology, Islam Dental College, Sialkot for a period of 06 months from June to November 2020. Materials and Methods: The sample size has calculated with the help of Rao software. The total number of samples were 319 and recruited based on purposive sampling method. The data had analyzed descriptively. Results: Out of 319 students, 123 were male and 196 of female. The average age of the students are 21.7 years. Maximum number of responders were having severe stress i.e. 186. Four different doubts were asked from the students. Out of 319 responders, 281 were replied no in response of "will you feel comfortable after COVID-19 pandemic" and 38 said yes. Five different questions were asked from the students i.e. Handwashing, using sanitizers, surgical masks, avoid social gathering and hand shaking. 271 replied yes in response of "Handwashing" and 48 said no. While the level of stress was also measured among the responses. 162 students who had severe stress were categorized in yes response, 62 students who had moderate level of stress were categorized in yes response and 47 students who had mild level of stress were categorized in yes response. Conclusion: The present study explored the levels of stress among the dental students. The finding of the study indicated that the student in a teaching hospital needs the appropriate counselling and professional knowledge regarding the pandemic to deal with the current scenario of COVID-19. © 2021 Medical Forum Monthly. All rights reserved.