THE STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND GENERAL POPULATION IN INDI

Abstract

Introduction- Covid 19 pandemic is having a psychological impact not only on the frontline healthcare worker but also on the general population. The comparative data on psychological impact of covid 19 pandemic on healthcare professional and general population is limited. Objective: To study the psychological impact of covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers and general populations and also comparing the results between the two groups. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 840 consecutive participants according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. The participants were assessed using semi-structured sociodemographic details, medical history proforma and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) using digital platform (Google Forms). Chi-square test and Independent Samples Mann-Whitney U test were used to explore association between these aspects. Results: The signicant difference was found between the two groups i.e. the healthcare professionals and general population in the prevalence of stress (P=0.033) with level higher among the healthcare workers. The healthcare professionals, who were involved in direct care of covid 19 patients were found to have signicantly higher level of stress( P= 0.006 ) and anxiety (P=0.002) than those who were not directly involved. Conclusion: Study reveals that signicant difference was found in prevalence of stress among healthcare workers but the prevalence of depression and anxiety was not signicantly different among the two. Signicant difference was found in prevalence of anxiety and stress in healthcare workers involved in the care of Covid-19 patients and the healthcare professionals not involved. Psychological intervention may be considered for the healthcare professionals involved covid-19 patients