PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS DURING COVID- 19 PANDEMIC AMONG PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDENTS AND GRADUATES IN PAKISTAN

M. Naseer Butt¹, W. Perveen², M. Amanat Ali³, U. Ilyas⁴

¹Muzaffarabad Physical Rehabilitation Centre, Muzaffarabad (AJ&K), Pakistan, ²School of Allied Health Sciences, CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, National University of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, ³Avicenna Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan, ⁴University of Sialkot, Sialkot, Pakistan

Background: COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in December 2019. Impact and outcomes of COVID-19 pandemic can be variable in different countries.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of Physiotherapy students and graduates and to find relation with associated factors.

Methods: It was an online survey. Data was collected from the Physiotherapy students and graduates using self-structured questionnaire and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) via google forms from September 2020 to January 2021. Both male and female, age 18-30 years, no previous history of mental disorder was included in the survey. People beyond the eligible age, with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder were excluded from the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS-21. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Regression analysis was applied to find the correlation among different variables.

Results: Total 201 Physical Therapist (34) and Physical Therapy students(167) participated in the study, their mean age+SD was 24.7±7.86. Out of 201 participants 60.2% were females and 39.8% were males. 94.5% participants had the awareness of symptoms of COVID-19 and 98.5% were taking the preventive measure. Results showed that among working population 75.1% participant’s job was affected during the COVID-19 lock down. 80% participants had the fear of getting infected when they were going out.91 % participants followed COVID-19 SOP’s. The total IES-R score was normal in 43.5%participants, 20.3% participants fall in the score 24 which indicates post-traumatic stress disorder is a clinical concern, 7.9% fall in the score 33 and 27.8% fall in the category of score 37 and above which indicates that event is going to suppress immune system and will have long term impact. Among those participants, who were aware of the symptoms of COVID-19, 24.4%have had higher score on IES-R. Correlation and Multiple linear Regression analysis was applied. There was significant Correlation (P-value=0.00) between trouble in falling asleep, trouble in concentrating and IES-R score which shows direct positive association between them. Value of adjusted R2 was (.689 =68.9%) which shows that 68.9 % variation in the IES-R score was due to predictor’s variables (felt irritable angry, trouble in falling asleep and trouble in concentrating).

Conclusions: It is concluded that COVID-19 pandemic has badly affected the mental health of Physical Therapy students and graduates. A considerable number of participants fall in the category of higher score on the IES-R scale.

Implications: This study will help physical Therapy students and graduates to understand their stress level during the Pandemic COVID-19 and coping strategies should be developed to manage the stress level in Physical Therapist.

Funding acknowledgements: None

Keywords:
COVID-19
Mental Health
Physical Therapist

Topics:
COVID-19
Mental health

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: Ref No. IRB-SCPT-DPT-1318-2020