Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry (Jan 2023)

The grief, impact of event and coping strategy among doctors working on COVID-19 ward: An online survey in India

  • Bhavya S Bhalodia,
  • Prathmesh U Shah,
  • Pradhyuman Chaudhary,
  • Prakash I Mehta,
  • Shikha Talati

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/TPSY.TPSY_28_23
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 37, no. 3
pp. 135 – 142

Abstract

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Objectives: In this cross-sectional study, we intended to assess grief, impact of event, and coping strategies of doctors who were working in the COVID-19 ward/intensive care unit (ICU), and to compare it with controls (people not working in COVID-19 ward/ICU). Methods: Online survey was done in the western state of India. Study participants completed structured quantitative interview for grief, Impact of Event Scale Revised and Brief Cope Inventory (BCOPE). Results: We found that 11 study doctors (9.8%) had severe grief (n = 112) and 28 controls (27.2%) had severe grief. We also found that 28 study doctors (25%) and 58 controls (56.3%) had a severe impact of event. Overall grief (t = −3.75) and impact of event (t = −5.07) were significantly higher in controls than doctors (p < 0.001). Hyperarousal type of impact of event significantly predicted grief in study doctors (β = 0.450, p < 0.01). A higher level of avoidance type of impact of the event (β = 0.430, p < 0.001), a higher level of seeking social support type of coping strategies (β = 0.190, p < 0.05), and lesser level of problem-solving type coping (β = −0.193, p < 0.05) significantly predicted a higher level of grief in controls. Conclusion: We found a clear evidence of higher grief and event impact in controls than in study doctors. In this study, doctors, who had experienced the hyperarousal type of impact of event predicted the development of grief, whereas, in controls, the avoidance type of impact of event predicted grief. In the study doctors, self-distraction and self-blame were the coping mechanisms associated with more severe grief, while coping with humor lessened grief. Self-blame coping increased grief in controls, and a higher seeking of social help and less problem-solving could predict grief. In the study of doctors, the most commonly used coping strategies were acceptance, positive reframing, and religion, while controls used acceptance, positive reframing, and active coping.

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