ABSTRACT
Background: Doctors are under tremendous amount of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty regarding future is compounded by lack of clarity about the postgraduate entrance exam. We assessed aspirants of postgraduate (PG) National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for psychological burden in domains of depression, anxiety, stress COVID related stress, attitudes towards situation affecting doctors and explored the association between psychological burden and other variables. Method(s): Google form was used to collect data from aspirants who appeared for NEET PG 2021 aspirants. The variables included age, gender, career status, marital status, number of attempts and medical environment related stress. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21) and COVID-19 Student Stress Scale Questionnaire (CSSQ) scales were used to measure psychological burden. Analysis was done using SPSS version 21.0. Result(s): of 289 participants, two-thirds had very severe depression and anxiety while two-fifths had very severe stress. Most of them were distressed with NEET exam, the postponed Supreme Court verdict, mental health of PG aspirants, and violence against healthcare workers. There is low satisfaction with having chosen medical profession. The distress from the above medical environment was associated with depression and anxiety. Gender and COVID related stress were associated with severe depression, anxiety and stress. Multivariate logistic regression showed female gender and CSSQ score were associated with risk of severe stress and happiness with medical profession was protective Conclusion(s): PG aspirants are undergoing severe psychological burden. Prompt action should be taken to address this crisis.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted almost all areas of service delivery for mental illnesses, including substance use disorders across the globe. India was one of the world's most affected countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the strictest lockdowns was imposed during this time in the country leading to disruption of mental health service delivery. Amongst the vulnerable populations, the mentally ill, especially patients with severe mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and children with mental illness, were the worst affected due to the same. Many modifications and adaptations were made in the country by various stakeholders to provide uninterrupted services to the people suffering from mental illnesses. In this symposium, we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown, and disruption of health services for these vulnerable populations and provide insights into various steps taken for providing services to them. Presenter 1 will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery for severe mental illnesses in India. Presenter 2 will discuss issues faced by children with mental illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenter 3 will discuss the problems faced by patients with substance use disorders. Presenter 4 will highlight modifications done by various stakeholders during the pandemic, specifically focusing on telepsychiatry services in India.
ABSTRACT
Background and Aims: This research examined anxiety, depression, and stress levels in female medical students during the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the association between these variables and family functioning, coping, and personality factors. Material(s) and Method(s): The cross-sectional online observational study was conducted using Google Forms. Anxiety, depression, and stress were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), family functioning using Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve, coping using Brief COPE, and personality using the Big Five Inventory 10-item version. Result(s): Out of 750 students, 500 thoroughly responded to the online survey. Based on the DASS-21 scores, 57.6% of participants had some stress, 63.4% had some anxiety, and 54.8% had some degree of depression. Anxiety, depression, and stress were highly correlated with each other. Stress, anxiety, and depression were weakly linked with problem-focused coping, moderately correlated with emotion-focused coping, and strongly correlated with avoidant coping. Better family functioning was associated with lesser self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression. Neuroticism was associated with higher anxiety, depression, and stress, while agreeableness and conscientiousness were with lower psychological distress. Conclusion(s): High level of psychological suffering was prevalent among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their anxiety, depression, and stress must be adequately managed. Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
In this study, we assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the amount and pattern of screen time among college students. The relationship between increased screen time and quality of life (QoL), COVID-related stress, and personality traits were also explored. A cross-sectional online survey-based study was conducted among Indian college students who were recruited by purposive sampling. Details regarding socio-demographics, amount and pattern of screen time usage, change in screen time patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic, and COVID-related stress were collected. In addition, personality traits and QoL were assessed with validated questionnaires. A total of 731 responses (51% female, mean age 20.7 years) were analysed. Of the participants, 93.2% self-reported an increase in daily screen time during COVID-19. The predominant reasons for the increased screen time were educational screen time (89.6%), streaming or watching videos for entertainment (82.8%), use of social media for non-communication purposes (78.1%), communication with friends and/or family members (76.2%), reading or watching news (65.9%), and interactive recreational screen time (44.7%). A small but significant negative correlation between increased screen time and QoL (rs =-0.154, p o .001) was found. Increased screen time due to the use of social media for non-communication purposes was associated with poorer QoL (U = 32947.50;p = .02) and greater COVID stress (U = 32381.50;p = .01). Educational screen time was the most common cause for increased screen time among college students and was not associated with negative effects on QoL. The context and purpose of screen time appears to be important in ascertaining the impact of screen time on QoL. © 2022, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. All rights reserved.