Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Disease among Physicians and Medical Students: A Survey in Kerman Province, Iran, in 2020

Background: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can have many adverse personal and professional consequences for physicians and medical students. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 disease in physicians and medical students during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: Using the census method, this cross-sectional study was conducted on 132 physicians and medical students working in Rafsanjan hospitals, Kerman province, Iran, from May to August 2020. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and Impact of Event Scale (IES) were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22, and descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Multiple logistic regression) methods were applied. Results: More than half of the participants were female and married. According to GHQ, fifty-one and a half of the participants had psychological disorders. Based on the results, 24.2% of the participants had GAD, and 33.3% had PTSD. The results also showed that only occupation significantly correlated with psychological disorders (P = 0.01). The risk of psychological disorders in medical students was 2.38 times higher than among physicians (OR= 2.38, 95% CI= 1.11- 5.10, P = 0.026). Conclusion: Physicians and medical students were faced too much stress in the COVID-19 pandemic. They were at great risk of mental health disorders and the psychological consequences of COVID-19 due to their job condition. Managers and health policymakers need to take the necessary mental health interventions to reduce such risks.