Psychological impact of COVID-19 on obstetrics and gynaecology residents in India

Abstract

Background: New emerging coronavirus strains are responsible for the rampant spread of COVID-19. This pandemic is not only associated with detrimental health but also with low socio-economic and adverse psychological consequences among healthcare workers, especially those working in emergency departments.Methods: Cross-sectional survey with purposive sampling was conducted. In this report, 96 obstetrics and gynaecology residents from India took part. The participants filled out a 61 item questionnaire to determine the psychological effect of COVID-19 on obstetrics and gynaecology residents in an online survey.Results: 22.9% of residents were tested RT-PCR positive to SARS-CoV2. 52.1% were reported they received an adequate quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE). 71.9% and 68.8% of residents have claimed that the number of elective cases/procedures and average OPD footfall per month respectively have decreased during this pandemic. 72.9% of residents have reported a reduction in teaching and academic activities. Of all the participants 66.7% had stress, 68.7% had anxiety while 61.5% had symptoms of depression. According to the Kessler distress scale, 37.5% of residents are likely to have a serious mental disorder. 42.7% of respondents were reported to suffer from moderate to severe clinical insomnia. The FCV-19 scale mean score was 18.79±6.782 suggesting a mild to moderate level of fear of the ongoing pandemic. Anxiety, depression, fear, psychological distress and insomnia were all strongly correlated to stress (p<0.001).Conclusions: The study highlights the urgency in dealing with the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals, especially in overburdened emergency services departments like obstetrics and gynaecology in such an overwhelming pandemic scenario.

Prevalence of Stress and Insomnia among Health Care Workers in India during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…The total number of articles included in the final synthesis of the meta-analysis was 23 for stress. [ 4 - 26 ] The number of articles included in the pooled analysis of insomnia was 16. [ 7 , 13 , 14 , 20 , 22 , 26 - 36 ] The total sample size for the meta-analysis of stress and insomnia is 8125 and 4974, respectively.…”

“…[ 4 - 26 ] The number of articles included in the pooled analysis of insomnia was 16. [ 7 , 13 , 14 , 20 , 22 , 26 - 36 ] The total sample size for the meta-analysis of stress and insomnia is 8125 and 4974, respectively. Some studies were conducted at pan-India levels, and some were in specific states.…”

“…The maximum prevalence of stress (96%) and insomnia (66%) was seen in the studies conducted by Upadhyaya et al . [ 17 ] and Prasad et al ,[ 26 ] respectively. Both these studies were conducted among PG residents.…”