Psychological Resilience towards COVID-19 amongst Emergency Medical Professionals in Pune (India)

Abstract

Aim: The surge of COVID 19 infection across the globe has put tremendous pressure on Healthcare Professionals worldwide. Emergency Medical Professionals are first responders and hence bear the brunt of exposure to the virus as well as dealing with critically ill patients. The aim of the study is to assess psychological resilience towards COVID 19 amongst Emergency Medical Professionals. Study Design: Descriptive Study. Place and Duration of Study: Symbiosis Centre for Health Skills, Pune in April 2021. Methodology: The study was conducted amongst 120 Emergency Medical Professionals in Pune, India. The data was collected during the month of April 2021. Professionals who have completed Post Graduate Diploma in Emergency Medical Services and working in COVID centres for at least one year were included in the study. A 38-item questionnaire was developed for frontline Emergency Medical Professionals and included questions adapted from the tools which are available in public domain. Results and Discussion: Working in a stressful environment along with continuous fear of self-exposure and risk of transmission to family members affects the efficacy and productivity of Emergency Medical Services Professionals. Debriefing, training for effective ‘breaking bad news’ stress management workshops and counselling sessions should be integrated into their work routine to enhance their psychological capacity. Conclusion: The findings indicate that even after a year of serving COVID 19 patients, Emergency Medical Professionals demonstrate a high degree of resilience. Yet there are areas requiring improvement which need to be focussed upon immediately in the interest of the mental well-being of Emergency Medical Professionals.