The COVID-19 outbreak was found to exert a
deleterious effect on the mental health of medical interns and graduated
doctors.
As per the findings of a recent study, COVID-19 adversely affected the mental health of newly graduated doctors and medical students. Utilizing a digital platform, this cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to investigate the effect of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic on the mental health of students from the medical internship and doctors.
The links to forms were sent in (I) Moment 1: At the initiation of the outbreak, in the 1st half of April 2020, and (II) Moment 2: Following 6 months of the outbreak, in the second half of September 2020. All medical interns and all doctors who graduated since 2018 were invited.
In the month of April, 335 forms were answered while in the month of September, 148 forms were answered. In Moment 1, 88.9% considered themselves exposed to excess information regarding SARS-CoV-2, that was linked with symptoms of anxiety. Also, long family physical distance was linked with these symptoms, as breath shortness, raised appetite, and sweating. The fear of acquiring coronavirus was described as intense by almost half of the subjects, and of transmitting by 85.7% in Moment 1.
In Moment 2, about 41.2% announced the death of relatives or friends. Mental illness was reported by 38.5% and psychotropic drugs usage by 30.1% in Moment 1, particularly the single ones and people who lived alone. Alcohol drinking was stated by 54.3%, and in doctors that graduated in 2020, it elevated to 85% in Moment 2 from 50% in Moment 1.
Being exposed to too much coronavirus-related
information and family physical distance were linked with anxiety symptoms.
Among the graduated doctors in 2020, consumption of alcohol elevated during the
pandemic evolution. Also, working directly with coronavirus-infected patients
was related to an increased usage of psychotropic drugs.
PLoS One
Mental health and illness of medical students and newly graduated doctors during the pandemic of SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19
Lis Campos Ferreira et al.
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