Objective: To determine the prevalence of psychological distress among medical doctors during the covid-19

pandemic and identify the coping mechanisms being employed by them.

Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Community Medicine, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila

from 1st February 2020 to 31st July 2020

Methodology: Three hundred and ninety eight doctors (non-specialists, interns, junior consultants and senior

consultants) from emergency services, medicine and allied and surgery and allied departments.

Results: There were 224 (56.3%) females, 174 (43.7%) were males. Mean age was 35.2±8.6. Majority of

participants were from medicine department (n=266,66.8%). Health professionals who worked at frontline during

Covid pandemic were 186 (46.7%). One hundred and ninety four (48.7%) participants had no psychological

distress, 62 (15.6%) had mild, 30 (7.5%) had moderate and 112 (28.1%) had severe psychological distress.

BREIF-COPE questionnaire was found to have high reliability (Cronbach alpha=0.82). High mean scores were

observed for Problem focused (4.7±1.4) and Emotional focused coping (4.7±1.1). Relatively low mean score was

found for dysfunctional coping (3.3±1.0). A statistically significant low positive correlation ofIES-R scores was

observed with Problem focused coping (r=.47, p=.001) and with emotional focused coping (r=.42, p=.001).

However, moderately positive correlation was observed between IES-R scores and dysfunctional coping (r=.64,

p=.001).

Conclusion: Psychological distress was significantly higher among Covid-19 frontline health workers, particularly

among postgraduate trainees working in Medicine and Emergency departments.