Psychological Outcomes Among COVID-19-Infected and Non-infected Healthcare Workers from a Tertiary Care Center in North India: A Cross-sectional Comparative Study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30834/KJP.38.1.2025.490Keywords:
COVID-19, Psychological Outcome, Health Care Workers, Depression, AnxietyAbstract
Background: Numerous studies have examined the psychological impact of COVID-19 within the Indian context. However, there is limited evidence comparing psychological distress among healthcare workers, both with and without a history of COVID-19 infection, from a tertiary care center in North India. This study seeks to identify psychological distress in healthcare workers from a tertiary care hospital in North India, with comparisons between those who had contracted COVID-19 and those who had not.
Materials and Methods: The present study used a cross-sectional comparative design, selecting participants based on their past RTPCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection status. Psychological distress was assessed using three standardized screening instruments: patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), and the impact of event scale–revised (IES-R).
Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.59 ± 8.6 years, with the majority being female (74%), married (80%), and working as nurses (62.6%). The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic symptoms related to COVID-19 among the participants was 25.7%, 13.5%, and 8.8%, respectively. These psychological symptoms were more frequently reported among those who had been infected with COVID-19 than among those who had not. Logistic regression analysis indicated that individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection were twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and post-traumatic stress compared to those without such a history.
Conclusion: The study found that 11–27% of healthcare workers experienced psychological morbidities during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings emphasize the importance of ongoing psychological assessment and support for healthcare workers in similar pandemic situations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nisha Jangid, Jaison Joseph, Rajeshwari Devi, Sandeep Grover (Author)
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