فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

BACKGROUND: The COVID‑19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of health‑careworkers worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological distress in medicalinterns during the pandemic and examine the factors influencing it.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‑sectional online survey was conducted using snowballsampling among 764 medical interns across India, who were evaluated using the KesslerPsychological Distress Scale, Fear of COVID‑19 Scale, and semi‑structured questionnaires. Univariateanalysis was done using Chi‑square test, unpaired t‑test, and ANOVA, while multivariate analysiswas conducted using binary logistic regression.RESULTS: 57.5% of the interns reported psychological distress, with 39.8% having moderate‑to‑severedistress. Past consultation with a mental health professional (odds ratio [OR]: 2.15; 95% confidenceinterval [CI]: 1.42–3.26) and perceived lack of support from friends (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.33–3.99)and faculty (OR: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.41–3.28) were the most significant predictors of distress. Fearof COVID‑19 was higher in interns who were female, were medically ill, were dissatisfied with thepandemic preparedness at the hospital, and perceived the faculty to be less approachable andsupportive. Majority of the interns felt that the pandemic had hampered their learning and wereworried about an extension to their internship and their performance in the postgraduate entranceexaminations.CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress was highly prevalent among interns, with several workplacesand personal factors affecting the distress levels. Most interns perceived a negative impact of thepandemic on their learning and career. Addressing these issues could help alleviate the distressand bolster the mental health of interns.