Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Deepti Chopra
- . Bharti Bhandari 1
- . Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu
- . Kiran Jakhar 2
- . Fariza Jamil 1
- . Rakesh Gupta 3
1 Department of Physiology, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Psychiatry, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
3 Department of Pediatrics, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Amidst corona virus disease‑2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic, disruption to the
usual ways of life can lead to anxiety and feeling of being unsafe, which may be associated with
self‑medication. The study was planned to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and self‑medication
during COVID‑19 pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross‑sectional study, data were collected through an
anonymous online survey with questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic data of
the participants, validated COVID‑19 Anxiety Inventory Items, Self‑rating Anxiety Scale, and
self‑medication practices during COVID‑19 pandemic. The data were organized and analyzed using
Windows Microsoft excel and SPSS software (Version 21). Descriptive statistics were calculated for
all patient characteristics and survey responses. Analytical analysis included relationship between
various parameters using Chi‑square test.
RESULTS: A total of 1100 responses were received. Approximately half of the participants were
worried about getting severely ill. Majority reported reduced social contact (71.3%, n = 784) and also
communicated that the pandemic has influenced their use of safety measures (86.5%, n = 951). The
prevalence of mild‑to‑moderate, moderate‑to severe, and extremely severe anxiety cases were 23.1%,
4.7%, and 0.54%, respectively. One‑fourth of the responders reported self‑medication, out of which
60% were found to be anxious. Nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs were most commonly used.
CONCLUSIONS: Rising to the present challenge will require integration across different sectors with
the immediate aim of getting people safely through the pandemic. As the world focuses on containing
and delaying the spread of the COVID‑19, with burdened health‑care systems, we should not miss out
on people with anxiety disorders and self‑medication problem, which may worsen with the pandemic.
Keywords
isolation and mental health. J Clin Nurs 2020;29:2756-7.
2. Roy D, Tripathy S, Kar SK, Sharma N, Verma SK, Kaushal V. Study
of knowledge, attitude, anxiety & perceived mental healthcare
need in Indian population during COVID-19 pandemic. Asian J
Psychiatr 2020;51:102083.
3. Bolton J, Cox B, Clara I, Sareen J. Use of alcohol and drugs to selfmedicate anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sample.
J Nerv Ment Dis 2006;194:818-25.
4. Wani RT. Socioeconomic status scales-modified Kuppuswamy
and Udai Pareekh’s scale updated for 2019. J Family Med Prim
Care 2019;8:1846-9.
5. Wheaton MG, Abramowitz JS, Berman NC, Fabricant LE,
Olatunji BO. Psychological Predictors of Anxiety in Response to
the H1N1 (Swine Flu) Pandemic. Cogn Ther Res 2012;36:210-18.
6. Zung WW. A rating instrument for anxiety disorders.
Psychosomatics 1971;12:371-9.
7. Kuvačić G, Fratini P, Padulo J, Antonio DI, De Giorgio A.
Effectiveness of yoga and educational intervention on disability,
anxiety, depression, and pain in people with CLBP: A randomized
controlled trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2018;31:262-7.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How Coronavirus
Spreads; 2020. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html. [Last
accessed on 2020 Jun19].
9. Panahi S, Ashrafi-Rizi H, Panahi M. Exposure to
coronavirus (COVID-19) using narrative and simulated
experience approaches: A commentary. J Educ Health Promot
2020;9:135.
10. Xiang YT, Yang Y, Li W, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Cheung T, et al.
Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak
is urgently needed. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:228-9.
11. El-Zoghby SM, Soltan EM, Salama HM. Impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on mental health and social support among adult
Egyptians. J Community Health 2020;45:689-95.
12. Wang Y, Di Y, Ye J, Wei W. Study on the public psychological
states and its related factors during the outbreak of coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) in some regions of China. Psychol Health
Med. 2020;30: 1-10. [doi: 10.1080/13548506.2020.1746817].
13. Chakraborty K, Chatterjee M. Psychological impact of COVID19
pandemic on general population in West Bengal: A cross-sectional
study. Indian J Psychiatry 2020;62:266-72.
14. Zhang Y, Ma ZF. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental
health and quality of life among local residents in Liaoning
province, China: A cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Res Public
Health 2020;17:2381.
15. Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Merikangas KR, Walters EE.
Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV
disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch
Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:617-27.
16. Regier DA, Farmer ME, Rae DS, Locke BZ, Keith SJ, Judd LL, et al.
Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug
abuse. Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA)
Study. JAMA 1990;264:2511-8.
17. America’s State of Mind: Use of Mental Health Medications
Increasing with Spread of Coronavirus. Available from: https://
www.express-scripts.com/corporate/americas-state-of-mindreport. [Last assessed on 2020 Jun 19].
18. AutaA, Banwat SB, Sariem CN, ShalkurD, NasaraB, AtulukuMO.
Medicines in pharmacy students’ residence and self-medication
practices. J Young Pharm 2012;4:119-23.
19. Tesfamariam S, Anand IS, Kaleab G, Berhane S, Woldai B, Habte E,
et al. Self-medication with over the counter drugs, prevalence of
risky practice and its associated factors in pharmacy outlets of
Asmara, Eritrea. BMC Public Health 2019;19:159.
20. Eyers S, Weatherall M, Shirtcliffe P, Perrin K, Beasley R. The effect
on mortality of antipyretics in the treatment of influenza infection:
Systematic review and meta-analysis. J R Soc Med 2010;103:403-11.
21. Graham NM, Burrell CJ, Douglas RM, Debelle P, Davies L.
Adverse effects of aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen on
immune function, viral shedding, and clinical status in rhinovirusinfected volunteers. J Infect Dis 1990;162:1277-82.
22. Latha K, Meena KS, Pravitha MR, Dasgupta M, Chaturvedi SK.
Effective use of social media platforms for promotion of mental
health awareness. J Educ Health Promot 2020;9:124.
23. Nasiri Z, Alavi M, Ghazavi Z, Rabiei K. The effectiveness
of mindfulness-based intervention on perceived stress and
perception of disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
J Educ Health Promot 2020;9:130.
)