Psychological Appraisal of Periodontal Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction- The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak impacts the mental health of patients, health workers, and the public. The level of impact on the mental health of periodontal patients in treatment is unknown. AimThe objective of the present study was to evaluate the psychological stress of periodontal patients who were undergoing treatment during this COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Method- An online survey was conducted on a convenience sample of anonymous participants who were getting treatment done in various dental clinics. The questionnaire comprised of 4 sections. Sections 1-3 included demographic, perception of pandemic and periodontal status of the patients. Section 4 assessed mental health status of periodontal patient. Statistically analysis was done by using descriptive analysis. Result- Questionnaires were collected from 1042 patients (398 males, 644 females). The prevalence of mental distress was 95.48% (995/1042). Higher frequency distributions were associated with female participants. The major cause of anxiety was found to be associated with prolonged treatment duration. Conclusion- Almost all the periodontal patients experienced mental stress during the pandemic. Multiple factors affected the level of anxiety of periodontal patients, such as the delayed treatment, time since last dental visit, manner of communication with the periodontist, and stress of the pandemic progression.