A study to assess anxiety, stress and depression among private medical practitioners during COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study

This study aims to assess the magnitude of anxiety, stress, and depression among private practitioners during the COVID pandemic 2020. A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was done using a semi-structured questionnaire through electronic media in the form of Google Forms. Patient health questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 were incorporated into the questionnaire to assess the psychological status in November 2020. A total of 157 private practitioners participated in the study. Males constituted 60%. Participants have mean age (SD) of 44.2 (6.9) years with work experience and a mean (SD) of 16.3 (6.78) years. The anxiety and depression subscales of the PHQ-4 scale showed that 54.7% of the private practitioners have anxiety subscale ≥3 and 28% have depression subscale >3 needing further psychiatric evaluation. Significant predictors of anxiety and depression were female gender, younger and less experienced, and those providing inpatient services in COVID care isolation facilities. There is a high prevalence of anxiety, stress, and depression among private practitioners comparable with other countries.