Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on mental health of Anaesthesiologists working at different parts of India.

Anesthesiologyhas been identified as a stressful specialty due to various factors like productionpressures, long working hours, night call and fatigue. (1, 2) There are fewIndian studies in Anaesthesiologists to identify these stressors and ways toreduce them. In this COVID-19 pandemic anaesthesiologists are frontlineprofessionals involved in patient care at emergency, operation theatre andICUs. Increasingnumber of confirmed and suspected cases day by day, depletion of personalprotection equipment, widespread media coverage, lack of specific drugs, andfeelings of being inadequately supported may all contribute to the mental burdenand stress. (3) Psychological effect of these added factors may pose a risk of variety of psychiatric illnesses like;depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, suicide and Post traumaticstress disorder (PTSD).(4) We have planned to assess the mental health effectsof COVID-19 pandemic affecting the anaesthesiologists by using standardizesself-reported questionnaires in terms of experiencing subsyndromal depression,anxiety and stress.

References:

1.     1.KainZN, Chan KM, Katz JD, Nigam A, Fleisher L, Dolev J, et al. Anaesthesiologistsand acute perioperative stress: A cohort study. Anesth Analg 2002;95:177-83.

2.      2. BakshiSG, Divatia JV, Kannan S, Myatra SN. Work-related stress: A survey of Indiananesthesiologists. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2017 Jan-Mar;33(1):86-91.doi: 10.4103/joacp.JOACP_390_15. PMID: 28413278; PMCID: PMC5374836.

3.     3. LaiJ, Ma S, Wang Y, et al. Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes AmongHealth Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA Netw Open.2020;3(3):e203976. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976

4. Shanafelt T, Ripp J, Trockel M. Understandingand Addressing Sources of Anxiety Among Health Care Professionals During theCOVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA. Published online April 07, 2020.doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5893.