Mental health status among the family members of COVID-19 patients in Jabalpur District Madhya Pradesh: A Cross-sectional study

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess mental health status among the family members of the COVID-19 patients and the severity of depression in the Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among family members of COVID-19 patients admitted at a tertiary care center. Methodology: Out of 160 respondents, 130 have participated, and the remaining 30 were dropouts. Participants included one member from each family of confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted at a tertiary care hospital, preferably their spouse or first-degree members living in the same house, aged 18 years and above. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to determine depression and was completed through a telephonic platform survey. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used to analyze the data. Significance was determined at P < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. Results: The majority of respondents, 61.5%, screened positive for depression. Among them, 46 were mildly depressed (35.4%), 28 were moderately depressed (21.5%), 4 were moderately severe depressed (3.1%), and two were severely depressed (1.5%). Females had approximately 4 times higher risk for depressive symptoms (P = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a need to emphasize the mental health of this vulnerable population. Our findings are also crucial in enabling the government to allocate health resources and offer appropriate treatment for family members who suffer mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic or any other infectious disease outbreak in the future.