LESSONS FROM THE FIRST COVID WAVE AND STRAIN - A STUDY OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN THE PANDEMIC - FACTORS ASSOCIATED AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people worldwide. Desperate times (SARS COV-2 being a novel virus) called in for\ndesperate measures in that right from its containment strategies to failed treatment trials have had various rami\uf001cations affecting various spheres of\nour lives. It has already been established that the pandemic has taken a toll on mental health, cutting across all strata of society. However, apart from\nthe pandemic in it itself as a causative factor, there are various other factors contributing to the increase in the mental health burden; some of which\nare modi\uf001able. An in-depth understanding of these modi\uf001able risk factors is the need of the hour, so that policies and guidelines can be framed\naccordingly to salvage what can be; of the mental health of the population at large. Understanding these modi\uf001able risk factors are lessons learned\nwhich will help us mitigate the mental health morbidity during the subsequent waves of the Pandemic.\nAim: To study the prevalence and factors associated with the psychiatric morbidity in the general population during the COVID - 19 pandemic.\nMethods: The data was collected by snowball sampling using an online form to collect the demographic and clinical variables with the DASS - 21\nscale appended.\nConclusion: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was found to be 25.3 % and 26.2 % respectively. The signi\uf001cant factors associated with\npsychiatric morbidity ranged across the psychological biological and social domains, some non-modi\uf001able whilst others modi\uf001able risk factors.\nThe modi\uf001able factors identi\uf001ed were substance use, past history of psychiatric illness, chronic physical illness, increased screen time use,\nwatching news (online) about the pandemic, working hours, disruption of a daily routine and a change in the lifestyle of people