Telangana Journal of Psychiatry (Jan 2021)

Mental health problems during COVID-19 outbreak in social health-care workers in Karimnagar

  • Shiva Kumar Rachakatla,
  • Kishan Porandla,
  • P Sai Krishna,
  • N D Sanjay Kumar,
  • Vishnu Vardhan Mavillapalli,
  • Sphurti Pusukuri,
  • Ayesha Sultana

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/tjp.tjp_10_21
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 42 – 46

Abstract

Read online

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak has created unpredictable stress physically and mentally in all sections of population. There is no exception for health-care workers being in frontline during this crisis period. Due to the virus rapid transmission and the pattern of clinical presentation, uncertainty, is created in the form of health emergency all over. There is a need to address mental health issues during this pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 in those who are in frontline. Subjects and Methods: It is an observational cross-sectional study performed in social health-care workers (accredited social health activist [ASHA]) to know the psychological disturbances during COVID-19 outbreak. This study has been done in primary health centers located in and around Karimnagar City, Telangana. The scale used to perform this study is Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale of 21 questions. Results: Out of 181 ASHA workers interviewed, majority of ASHA workers were at normal emotional states of depression (81.8%) and stress (91.2%), but about half (91, 50.3%) of them had moderate level of anxiety and 16 (9%) had severe anxiety level. Only 12 (6.6%) and 4 (2.2%) had moderate depression level, and stress level, respectively. Out of 91 ASHA workers who had moderate level of anxiety, only one had moderate level of depression and out of 16 who had severe level of anxiety, all of them had normal level of depression and stress. Conclusion: Frontline health care workers experience psychological disturbances during pandemics like COVID-19 to a certain degree. Administrators should be aware that the mental health support of health care workers is an important part of the COVID- 19 response. Educational interventions, to ensure understanding and use of infectious control measures. Psychological support, like counselling services and development of support systems among colleagues.

Keywords