Psychological impact of COVID-19 on obstetrics and gynaecology residents in India

Background: New emerging coronavirus strains are responsible for the rampant spread of COVID-19. This pandemic is not only associated with detrimental health but also with low socio-economic and adverse psychological consequences among healthcare workers, especially those working in emergency departments.Methods: Cross-sectional survey with purposive sampling was conducted. In this report, 96 obstetrics and gynaecology residents from India took part. The participants filled out a 61 item questionnaire to determine the psychological effect of COVID-19 on obstetrics and gynaecology residents in an online survey.Results: 22.9% of residents were tested RT-PCR positive to SARS-CoV2. 52.1% were reported they received an adequate quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE). 71.9% and 68.8% of residents have claimed that the number of elective cases/procedures and average OPD footfall per month respectively have decreased during this pandemic. 72.9% of residents have reported a reduction in teaching and academic activities. Of all the participants 66.7% had stress, 68.7% had anxiety while 61.5% had symptoms of depression. According to the Kessler distress scale, 37.5% of residents are likely to have a serious mental disorder. 42.7% of respondents were reported to suffer from moderate to severe clinical insomnia. The FCV-19 scale mean score was 18.79±6.782 suggesting a mild to moderate level of fear of the ongoing pandemic. Anxiety, depression, fear, psychological distress and insomnia were all strongly correlated to stress (p<0.001).Conclusions: The study highlights the urgency in dealing with the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals, especially in overburdened emergency services departments like obstetrics and gynaecology in such an overwhelming pandemic scenario