Assessing Impact Event Scale of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of COVID-19 Pandemic among Postgraduates Working at Tertiary Care Hospital — A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background : COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered Corona Virus. The pandemic is having a significant psychological impact worldwide as evidenced by continued reports of panic and fear along with heightened anxiety and depression reported in the literature and news. The Indian Psychiatry Society (IPS) has noticed a steep rise in the number of patients suffering from mental illness after the outbreak of the Novel Corona Virus in India. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can result from the experience or witnessing of traumatic or life-threatening events such as disasters. Objectives : (1) To know the impact of COVID-19 among postgraduates working at medical college. (2) To give counseling based on the score of the impact event scale. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among postgraduates (PGs), within one month after the event of the COVID-19 case was diagnosed in the selected medical college. After taking institutional ethical clearance and consent from the PGs the study was conducted. The data was collected by semi-structured questionnaires and using a structured format of The Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Proform was sent to them through email and requested them to reply within a week. Results: The total IES-R score of more than 37 were found in all the PGs, but the severity was more in final year PGs. more than 24 IES-R scores were observed more in first year PGs. Conclusion: The finding of the present study concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a severe stressful impact on postgraduates working at tertiary care hospital.