Medicine
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/12
This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item Psychological impact of COVID-19 among a cohort of Sri Lankan medical students: Preliminary results(Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists, 2022) Abayabandara-Herath, T.; Premaratne, I.; Ediriweera, D.; Chandratilake, M.; Hapangama, A.Previous studies report that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative effect on the psychological wellbeing of medical students. We aimed to determine the psychological impact of COVID-19 and its associated factors among a cohort of Sri Lankan medical students, using online versions of a demographic questionnaire and the validated Sinhala and Tamil versions of the DASS-21. Of the 418 students, majority were females, aged between 20-25 years. In the study group, 40 (9.6%), 105 (25.1%) and 7 (1.6%) of participants scored above the cut-offs for the depression, anxiety and stress subscales of the DASS-21 respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be associated with a negative impact as measured by the DASS-21 scale among this group of medical students.Item Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of frontline and non-frontline healthcare workers in Sri Lanka(The Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2021) Baminiwatta, A.; de Silva, S.; Hapangama, A.; Basnayake, K.; Abayaweera, C.; Kulasinghe, D.; Kaushalya, D.; Williams, S.INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of mental health problems during a pandemic. Being stationed at the frontline or not may have implications on their mental health. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to assess depression, anxiety and stress among HCWs, to explore differences between frontline and non-frontline workers, and to investigate associated factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, frontline and non-frontline HCWs were recruited from a COVID-19 screening hospital in Sri Lanka. Mental health impact was assessed using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Sociodemographic data and perceptions of social and occupational circumstances were gathered. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi square and logistic regression. Odds ratios were calculated for the effect of different perceptions on psychological morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 467 HCWs participated, comprising 244 (52.2%) frontline and 223 (47.8%) non-frontline workers, with female preponderance (n=341, 77%). Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among HCWs were 19.5%, 20.6%, 11.8%, respectively. Non-frontline group showed a higher prevalence of depression (27% vs. 11%, p<0.001), anxiety (27% vs. 14%, p=0.001) and stress (15% vs. 8%, p=0.026). Being married, having children, living with family and higher income were associated with better psychological outcomes. Perceived lack of personal protective equipment, inadequate support from hospital authorities, greater discrimination, and lack of training to cope with the situation predicted poor mental health outcomes, and non-frontline HCWs were more likely to hold such perceptions. CONCLUSION: Addressing factors leading to negative psychological outcomes in HCWs should be a key concern during this pandemic. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Mental health, Hhealthcare workers, Frontline, Depression, Anxiety, Stress