COVID Pandemic and Its Repercussions on Mental Health -COVID Anxiety among Frontline Health care Workers (FLHCWs) in a COVID Care Center

Abstract

Context: Health sector has been working untiringly since the COVID 19 pandemic emerged as Public health emergency of International Concern. FLHCWs are those who are in close contact with the COVID-19 cases and witness the suffering caused by COVID 19 on patients which can have direct effect on mental health. Aims: The study was planned to assess the COVID anxiety, stress and work & social adjustment and factors influencing the same among FLHCWs working in a COVID care center. Settings and Design: This was hospital based study carried out for period of 4 months from July to October 2020 in a Covid Care center, Kolar. Materials and Methods: Study participants were frontline health care workers (FLHCW) like doctors and nurses who were part of Covid care of patients who had not contracted the infection, working in COVID related wards and Out-patient department. Sample size was calculated based on previous study which was 360. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics applied where ever needed and to check for association between factors Chi-square was applied with level of significance defined as p value less than 0.05. Multinomial logistic regression was done to identify the factors. Results: Out of 362 FHCWs, 142(39.2%) belonged to age group of 21-25 years, 243(67.1%) were female FHCW, 86(23.8%) were Junior Residents, 105(29%) were working in COVID ward, 187(51.7%) were working more than 8 hours, 189(52.2%) Perceived their workload during                        COVID duties as medium, 265(73.2%) followed Regular working Shifts followed during COVID.                   Out of 362 FLHCWs, 45 (12.4%) had high stress. With respect to work and social adjustment,                severe psychopathology was seen in 178(49.2%) and 196(54.1%) had Corona anxiety. Conclusions: Gender, occupation and marital status were found to have statistically significant association with work and social adjustment. Working hours per day, occupation, perceived                  workload during duties, regular shifts during COVID duties and hours of rest during COVID                    duties were few factors which were found to have statistically significant association with Corona anxiety. Key Messages: The present study stresses the importance of recognizing the psychological consequences of the newer disease outbreaks among health care workers working in treating center being very crucial but still failed to be taken care by guiding policies and hospital authorities to maintain healthy psychological well-being. Health institutions addressing such pandemics    need to regularly screen FLHCWs for mental health issues and intervene at early so as to keep the health worker resource adequate to fight the pandemic till the advent of vaccine or curative  drug.