Psychiatric Sequelae and COVID Experiences of Post COVID -19 Recovered Resident Doctors and Interns of a Tertiary General Hospital in Mumbai.

BACKGROUND

The wide and profound psychological impact of the COVID pandemic on people has been demonstrated by several studies. A survey from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) showed that at least 500 doctors have been infected across Maharashtra, with Mumbai doctors making it to the top of the list. The most infected are the resident doctors working in government hospitals. A few doctors also have lost their lives while working in this pandemic. The delicate balance between duty, altruism and fear for oneself and others often causes conflict and feelings of helplessness and dissonance in many health care personnel with a fear to resume back the duty, especially after being a COVID victim. There have been hardly any studies yet, related to understanding the emotional and general well being of COVID-19 positive health care workers who have recovered and resumed their duties.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To study in post COVID-19 recovered resident doctors and interns the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, sleep changes, general well-being, perceptions of their COVID experience and association of general wellbeing with anxiety, depression and sleep changes.

METHODS

The study was conducted after institutional ethics committee permission and online informed consent from the participants which included medical interns and resident doctors of our institute. A Google form with questions and scales pertaining to the aims of the study (Patient Health Questionnaire, Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale, Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale and Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire) was sent on the Google link to the 150 interns and resident doctors via whatsapp who had recovered from COVID 19 infection. Their details were taken from hospital database with Dean permission.

RESULTS

79 responded to the link with the mean duration of COVID infection being 16.1 ± 8.59 days. 64 participants were hospitalized and 18 participants had lung parenchymal involvement. 28 participants had depressive symptoms on the patient health questionnaire. Only 4 participants experienced anxiety as per Zung self rating anxiety scale. 69 participants had greater well being with scores higher than 40 on the Warwick Edinburgh mental well being scale. 8 participants had sleep related issues affecting their work. A negative correlation of general well being was seen with depression, anxiety and insomnia which was highly significant. The most distressing of COVID experiences were being isolated in a room, transmitting disease to near and dear ones and possibility of a serious complication. Re infection, workload followed by use of PPE was the major concern.Many described their COVID experience as boring, depressing with feelings of loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first of its kind to evaluate the psychiatric sequelae and COVID experiences of post COVID-19 recovered resident doctors and interns. Psychosocial and institutional support will definitely help in improving the post COVID sequelae in the resident doctors and interns.