Depression, anxiety, stress and coping strategies in healthcare workers during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Millions of individuals were mentally and physically harmed by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health-care workers are those who are most affected by the pandemic's psychological effects. This study examines the psychological effects of the second pandemic wave of Covid-19 on healthcare personnel in India and their coping strategies.During the month of May 2021, a semi-structured online survey of healthcare workers in India was conducted. A total of 1340 healthcare workers participated in the study. SPSS software was used to analyze the data.Most participants (37.61%) were between the ages of 18 and 29, with 856 married (63.88%). Three hundred thirty-seven participants (25.15%) were resident doctors, while 1008 (75.22%) worked in government settings. 561 of the 1340 participants reported anxiety symptoms (41.87%). 536 (40.00%) of the participants reported depressive symptoms. Post-traumatic stress symptoms were also present in 423 participants (31.57%). Our study found a statistically significant difference between male and female depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms (p-value <0.05). Most participants relied on keeping expectations open and hopeful as a coping strategy (66.57%).It is important to develop strategies to address the growing number of mental health problems. It is anticipated that healthcare worker education about coping strategies, effective coping mechanisms, and avenues for practical assistance will be beneficial.