Psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic among persons residing at institutional quarantine centers in India

Abstract

COVID-19 is global threat both on physical and mental health since its outbreak. On 24 March 2020, the Government of India ordered a nationwide lockdown with potential consequences on day-to-day life, mental and physical health and this study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health institutionally quarantined subjects. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 9th July and 30th September 2020 among 305 subjects in 12 quarantine centers. Data was collected by physical interview after obtaining informed consent. Descriptive analysis and bivariate linear regression were performed to examine the association of variables. Results: 40.3% were found to not have depression, 59.7% were mild to extremely severely depressed. On the anxiety subscale, 37.7% did not have anxiety, while 62.3% had mild to extremely severe anxiety. On the stress subscale, only 22.6% reported in the normal range, while the rest 77.4% reported experiencing some degree of stress. Female participants showed statistically significant higher degrees of depression, anxiety and stress. Additionally, fear of infection, inadequate supply of essential items, financial uncertainty had significant association with stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic symptoms. Conclusion: Quarantine can be a necessary preventive measure during an outbreak of Pandemic situation like COVID-19, however quarantine is often associated with a negative psychological effect.