An investigation into the changing constructs of Psychological Immunity in Academic context Amidst COVID-19

Background: The present research has been initiated in the backdrop of Covid-19 Pandemic and henceforth, acknowledges the psychological impact of the disease followed by global lockdown on human lives. The study analyzes the challenges faced by academic fraternity i.e., teachers, students, and policy makers, owing to complete lockdown of educational machinery, introduction of digital learning and changing skillset of teachers and students in the new normal. Methods: The present research work has been conducted following the approach of extensive narrative analysis during the period of March 2020 to Aug 2020 , in order to understand the changing psychological constructs for teachers and students to cope with evolving educational transformations , post complete lockdown of educational institutions. Results: Initial understanding of the existing dimensions of educational psychology confirm that psychological interventions have been largely confined to conventional physical classroom scenarios. Since the lockdown has shaken this prime setting and given rise to a naive concept of virtual classroom, the present study invokes the idea of readjusting the constructs of educational psychology to cope with the evolving dimensions of online classroom learning around the globe. The study further provides a framework for understanding the key factors that determine the psychological immunity among teachers and students, which have been redefined. Conclusions: The study concludes that redefined dimensions of Self Identity , Academic resilience , Adaptability and Emotional Intelligence emerged as strong contributors to the concept of psychological immunity of teachers, which are found crucial in dealing with the ongoing global disruption of education during the pandemic. Based on these findings, researchers further offer psychological interventions necessary for coping and embracing the digital upheavals in academic sector. The study further presents a rich figurative analysis of redefined psychological immunity constructs, using the Psychological Immunisation Process of Self Organisation (Hiver, 2015) which replicates the current psychological well- being of academic stakeholders in the wake of COVID-19.

Association of Sociodemographic Parameters With Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Sleep Quality, Psychological Trauma, Mental Well-Being, and Resilience During the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From India.

Objective This study was conducted to assess the traumatic impact of the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, mental well-being, and resilience among the general population of India. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in May-June, 2021 via Google Forms, which included adult individuals who were willing to participate in the study. The purposive and snowball sampling technique was used to ensure the principle of maximum diversity. Standardised tools [Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Impact of Event-Revised (IES-R), Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)] were used to collect data. Results A total of 1,109 responses were analysed for this study. Participants of different age groups (mean age: 32.98 ±14.72 years) and different sociodemographics were enrolled. The younger population group (18-34 years) was found to be the most affected among all the age groups. The findings revealed that 44.18% showed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms. About 48.87%, 65.56%, and 22.09% of the participants had significant depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms respectively, and 11.27% had disturbed sleep patterns. Mental well-being was found to be disturbed for 74.75% of the study population, out of which only 4.15% showed high resilience capacity. Conclusion The associated collective psychological trauma mapped out by this paper is a pandemic in itself and needs to be addressed on a scale similar to the efforts being made to curb the physical symptoms of COVID-19.

Socio-behavioural impact of COVID-19 on general population: A cross-sectional survey of one thousand seventy-nine participants across India between the first and the second wave of pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: COVID-19 is expected to have a significant impact on the socio-behavioural aspect of citizens' lives, although the effects are expected to manifest differently in different population groups. The current study was conducted to assess the socio-behavioural impact of COVID-19 among the general population across India between the first and the second wave of pandemic. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 15th March -25th March 2021 using a pre-validated validated questionnaire upon the general population using e-survey, telephonic and face-to-face interview. The participants were recruited from the different regions of India by the purposive and snowball sampling technique following the principle of maximum diversity. Appropriate statistical tests were applied to study the association between the various sociodemographic variables and different behaviours. RESULTS: A total of 1079 responses were analysed for the study. Almost half of the participants feared contracting the COVID-19 infection. Overall, female participants, elderly people (more than 60 years of age) and urban dwellers reported a greater fear in the survey. More than half of the participants (53.39%) reported significant difficulties due to home confinement. People have become more inclined to adopt healthy lifestyles. There are mixed responses in the area of following preventive practices. CONCLUSION: People have a significant amount of fear and anxiety related to the pandemic, leading to several social and behavioural changes that might have a considerable impact on their everyday lives.

Tools for the evaluation of the psychological impact of COVID-19: A practical guide for Family physicians and Primary Care Practitioners.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global population significantly and has resulted in physiological, psychological, social, and behavioral changes among the individuals. The prominent mental health effects of COVID-19 on the general and clinical populations have been well recognized. The family physicians and primary care practitioners from various disciplines are likely to encounter patients who are experiencing psychological distress manifested in the form of anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, increased substance use, or other symptoms. This narrative review is aimed to present a bird's eye view of the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population and the various tools that are used to evaluate them. Besides, we intend to suggest a set of tools/questionnaires that can be used by the family physicians and primary care practitioners for generating data on the psychological impact of this pandemic.

Knowledge, barriers and facilitators regarding COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination programme among the general population: A cross-sectional survey from one thousand two hundred and forty-nine participants.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The success of the COVID-19 vaccination program is dependent on people's knowledge and attitude regarding the vaccination program. Higher vaccine acceptance can be ensured by strengthening the facilitators and limiting the barriers being observed among the general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Indexed study is a cross-sectional web-based survey using a pre-validated questionnaire to assess knowledge, barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination programme administered on adults across India using a Google online survey platform. RESULTS: A total of 1294 responses (age: 38.02 ± 13.34 years) were collected. Most of the participants had limited knowledge regarding the eligibility of vaccines in vulnerable population groups such as people with allergies (57.89%) and immune-compromised patients (62.98%), pregnant and lactating women (41.89%) and patients with chronic illness (34.78%). Older participants (>45 years) were more willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine (p < 0.001) as they believed the vaccine is not harmful and considered it as societal responsibility. Younger participants (<45 years) and those residing in urban settings raised concerns on the availability of the vaccine and authenticity of the vaccine (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There is a scope for improvement in people's knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccine and the vaccination programme by addressing the barriers and facilitators which can improve the participants' turnover at vaccination centres.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude, practices, and concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination among the general population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There seems to be hesitation in the general population in accepting COVID 19 vaccine because of associated myths and/or misinformation. This study is dedicated to develop and validate a tool to interpret vaccine acceptance and/or hesitancy by assessing the knowledge, attitude, practices, and concerns regarding the COVID vaccine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mixed methods study design was used. In phase 1, the questionnaire was developed through literature review, focus group discussion, expert evaluation, and pre-testing. In phase 2, the validity of the questionnaire was obtained by conducting a cross-sectional survey on 201 participants. The construct validity was established via principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha value was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The 39-item questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine was developed. The Cronbach's alpha value of the questionnaire was 0.86 suggesting a good internal consistency. CONCLUSION: The developed tool is valid to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices and concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and/or hesitancy. It has the potential utility for healthcare workers and government authorities to further build vaccine literacy.

What Indians Think of the COVID-19 vaccine: A qualitative study comprising focus group discussions and thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The study aims to interpret current knowledge, attitude, perceptions and concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccine in the Indian population. METHODS: Eight focus group discussions were conducted. Participants were recruited via purposive sampling. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Key themes were extracted using thematic analysis method. RESULTS: There were 19 males and 24 females, with a mean age of 36 ± 11 years. Sub-themes identified were knowledge, attitude, perception and concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccine, leading to the main theme, i.e., views about the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: People have mixed perceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccine. Channelling correct messages may improve people's willingness to get vaccinated.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess socio-behavioural impact of COVID-19 on the general population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the study is to develop a valid and reliable tool to assess sociobehavioural changes due to COVID among the general population. METHODS: This mixed method study has two phases. Phase I for questionnaire development (literature review, focus group discussion, expert evaluation and pilot testing). Phase II for establishing construct validity via factor analysis and internal consistency via Cronbach's ɑ by administering the questionnaire on 179 participants. RESULTS: A questionnaire comprising 33 questions and five domains was developed having Cronbach's α of 0·82. CONCLUSION: The developed questionnaire is a concise, easy to administer and valid tool to assess socio-behavioural changes.

Psycho-social and behavioural impact of COVID 19 on young adults: Qualitative research comprising focused group discussion and in-depth interviews.

A qualitative study comprising eight focus group discussions and two in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the social and behavioural changes in young adults during COVID pandemic. Common themes identified were changes in interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, changes in health-related behaviour, lifestyle modifications and impact on academic and professional life.