A cross-sectional study of coping strategies and resilience and its association with psychological symptoms of doctors working in a dedicated COVID-19 care center

Abstract

Context: Health-care professionals who are involved in treating COVID patients use multiple coping strategies to overcome stress. Studies have shown that individuals having poor coping strategies and resilience are more prone toward psychological symptoms. Aims: The study was conducted to assess the coping strategies and resilience and its association with psychological symptoms of frontline doctors working in a COVID care center. Settings and Design: It was a cross-sectional study using convenient sampling conducted among 150 frontline doctors working in a COVID care center. Materials and Methods: The study tools included were sociodemographic questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21, Brief-COPE Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale which was sent using Google Forms to participants after obtaining informed consent. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square test for categorical variables, t-test for continuous variables, and Mann–Whitney U test for ordinal data, Spearman correlation for correlations, and backward multiple linear regression to predict psychological symptoms. Results: Doctors with severe stress had higher dysfunctional coping and lower resilience scores (P = 0.001). There was a positive correlation of stress, anxiety, and depression with problem-focused, emotional-focused, and dysfunctional coping, and there was a negative correlation between total resilience scores with stress and depression. Stress and anxiety were predicted by dysfunctional coping and resilience. Depression was predicted by dysfunctional coping (β = 1.25, P < 0.001), resilience (β = −0.08, P = 0.005), and duration of working hours per month (β = −0.008, P = 0.05). Conclusions: There is an urgent need to look at therapeutic strategies and factors which enhance resilience and promote better coping in this population.