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Prevalence of Psychological Illness Among Quarantined People in Trivandrum District During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2021.1063

Keywords:

Corona Virus Disease (COVID)-19, Quarantine, Depression, Anxiety, Stress

Abstract

Background: Quarantine is considered the most effective way to curb the transmission of an infectious disease. The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease-19 in 2020 lead to many people being quarantined at various locations. Literature had shown that people who undergo quarantine face psychological problems like depression, anxiety, and stress. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues among quarantined people during this pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. Adults aged 18 years and above who underwent quarantine in the area of the Pangappara Medical Health Centre were included. A semi-structured questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 were administered to those who had given their informed consent. Quantitative variables were summarized with means and standard deviations and categorical variables with proportions. Significance of association was tested using chi-square tests.  

Results: 143 participants were included in this study. It was found that 23.8% had depression, 14% anxiety and 16.8% had significant stress. People from the age group of 26-40 years (p = 0.017), people from the higher educated group (p = 0.010) and non-resident Keralites (Keralites who were residing elsewhere and returned to Kerala during the pandemic) (p = 0.041) had the highest prevalence of depression.

Conclusion: People who undergo quarantine face a lot of psychological issues. The health care system should provide adequate psychosocial support to quarantined people suffering from psychological problems. Health care workers should be trained in this regard.

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Author Biographies

Sneha S Prakash, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

Undergraduate Medical Student,

Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala, India

Sneha Sabu, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

Undergraduate Medical Student,

Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala, India

Jayaprakash Raghavan, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

DPM, M.D. Paediatrics, PhD. Child Psychiatry,

Additional Professor and Child Psychiatrist,

Department of Paediatrics,

SAT Hospital,

Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala, India

Chintha Sujatha, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

M.D. Community Medicine,

Associate Professor,

Department of Community Medicine,

Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala, India.

References

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2021-12-16

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How to Cite

S Prakash, S., Sabu, S., Raghavan, J., & Sujatha, C. (2021). Prevalence of Psychological Illness Among Quarantined People in Trivandrum District During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study. International Journal of Medical Students, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2021.1063

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Vol. 9 No. 4 (2021)

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Copyright (c) 2020 Sneha S Prakash, Sneha Sabu, Jayaprakash Raghavan, Chintha Sujatha

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