Assessment of the Attitude, Anxiety Episodes and Perceived Psychological Impact of the Pandemic on Medical Undergraduate Students - a Retrospective Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread public concern and stress, particularly among medical undergraduates, who faced heightened anxiety due to the uncertainty of the disease resurgence. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, anxiety experiences and perceived mental healthcare needs of undergraduate medical students in India through an online multicentric survey.

Methods: A semi-structured pilot-tested questionnaire was administered online via Google Forms and distributed through social media platforms. The survey was carried out over a period of three months during the pandemic (2020-2021). Students were given five days to respond and incomplete or late submissions were excluded. Data were collected and analyzed using MS Excel and appropriate statistical tests, with a significance level of 0.05.

Results: Out of all respondents to the survey, 55.3% reported frequently thinking about the pandemic, while 5.9% were always paranoid about infection. Social contact avoidance was common, with 40.5% of respondents always avoiding contact and 36.3% avoiding large gatherings. Sleep disturbances were reported by 16.9% occasionally and 3.8% regularly. Social media posts about COVID-19 affected 56.1% of participants. Notably, 62.4% expressed a desire to discuss pandemic-related worries and 85.2% acknowledged the need for mental health support during periods of heightened panic. Most respondents (86.5%) agreed that mental health professionals should assist in managing pandemic-related stress.

Conclusion: The study highlights significant psychological impacts of COVID-19 on medical students, with emphasizing the need for targeted mental health interventions. Raising awareness and providing accessible mental health resources are crucial to addressing their needs, particularly as the threat of new COVID-19 variants persists. Studying mental health impacts across diverse populations will aid in planning effective strategies for broader pandemic-related mental health challenges.