LESSONS FROM THE FIRST COVID WAVE AND STRAIN - A STUDY OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN THE PANDEMIC - FACTORS ASSOCIATED AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people worldwide. Desperate times (SARS COV-2 being a novel virus) called in for desperate measures in that right from its containment strategies to failed treatment trials have had various ramications affecting various spheres of our lives. It has already been established that the pandemic has taken a toll on mental health, cutting across all strata of society. However, apart from the pandemic in it itself as a causative factor, there are various other factors contributing to the increase in the mental health burden; some of which are modiable. An in-depth understanding of these modiable risk factors is the need of the hour, so that policies and guidelines can be framed accordingly to salvage what can be; of the mental health of the population at large. Understanding these modiable risk factors are lessons learned which will help us mitigate the mental health morbidity during the subsequent waves of the Pandemic. Aim: To study the prevalence and factors associated with the psychiatric morbidity in the general population during the COVID - 19 pandemic. Methods: The data was collected by snowball sampling using an online form to collect the demographic and clinical variables with the DASS - 21 scale appended. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was found to be 25.3 % and 26.2 % respectively. The signicant factors associated with psychiatric morbidity ranged across the psychological biological and social domains, some non-modiable whilst others modiable risk factors. The modiable factors identied were substance use, past history of psychiatric illness, chronic physical illness, increased screen time use, watching news (online) about the pandemic, working hours, disruption of a daily routine and a change in the lifestyle of people