Assessment of psychosocial impact among medical interns working in a tertiary care hospital during the time of pandemic in Chennai district, Tamilnadu-A Cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Background:Medical interns develop apprehensions about the vulnerability of their exposure to infection while treating Covid-19 patients which may further affect their work pattern and efficiency. Studies have shown that the outbreak of infectious diseases would result in mental health issues. In view of this our study aims to assess the psychosocial factors such as anxiety, depression, stress, relationship with peers and change in personal roles among medical interns of a private medical college. Methodology:This cross-sectional was carried among 248 medical interns working in tertiary care hospitals by using simple random sampling method. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using a standardized 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress questionnaire (DASS– 21). To acquire information regarding the study participants' socio-demographic data and social elements, a pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used. Results:The overall prevalence of Depression [58%], Anxiety [70%] and Stress [44%] were found among the 248 study participants.Around [70.6%] of the study participants reported thattheir social lifehad been affected. The prevalence of various factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress were assessed. Conclusion:This study reports higher levels of psychosocial distress among the study participants. Adequate knowledge about the pandemic and stress management measures will be the top priority among these budding medicos during such unfavourable pandemic situations.