Covid-19 Pandemic and its Effect on Residents’ Mental Well-Being

Abstract

AbstractConcerns about COVID-19’s long-term consequences on the mental health of frontline health professionals are mounting as the entire world strives anew to contain it. The primary objective of this research is to describe the impact of working during the COVID-19 pandemic on junior doctors’ mental health and to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on junior doctors’ training and professional performance. A cross-sectional online survey using the Google Forms platform was conducted from May 1st to May 30th, 2021, in 311 healthcare workers who were currently enrolled in a residency program at the Kuwait Institutional of Medical Specialization (KIMS). Socio-demographic details of each health worker were collected and the scores related to depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the previously validated depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS-21). Higher stress scores were seen in those who were devoid of the option to work with COVID-19 patients (adjusted β 5.1 (95%CI:1.2-9);p=0.01), who reported that working during the pandemic affected their study schedule (adjusted β 4.8 (95%CI:1.6-8.1);p= 0.004), and who lost off service training time (adjusted β 2.7 (95%CI:0.13-5.2); p=0.034). Further, the anxiety scores were significantly higher in females. The impact of the ongoing pandemic on residents’ mental health is grave, necessitating psychological treatment and support. The study discovered various factors linked to depression, anxiety, and stress. As a result, these aspects must be regarded to protect the residents’ mental health.