Mental Health Strain due to COVID-19: Psychological Distress and Somatic Symptoms Among Health Care Workers and the general population in Kashmir, India

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a global rise in psychological morbidities, markedly increasing depression, anxiety, and stress. This study provides early region-specific evidence from Kashmir on the post-pandemic mental health burden. Building on our prior findings of substantial psychological distress in this cohort, we examined associations between specific COVID-19 symptom profiles, symptom duration, hospitalization status, and the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress. Correlates of psychological distress were also identified. While this study uses the same cohort as our primary study it addresses a distinct research question not previously examined, and all novel findings (symptom-level associations, odds ratios from multivariable regression) are presented here for the first time. METHODS: Psychological distress was assessed using a self-designed, validated DASS-21 questionnaire among 250 participants. RESULTS: Overall prevalence rates were 54.8% for depression, 68.0% for anxiety, and 34.4% for stress. Among healthcare professionals (n=161; 64.4%), extremely severe anxiety (21.1%), moderate depression (15.5%), and mild-to-moderate stress (11.8%) predominated. In the community group (n=89; 35.6%), moderate depression (33.7%), moderate anxiety (23.6%), and moderate stress (16.9%) were most frequent. Significant associations were observed between psychological distress and symptoms including fever (OR=4.2; 95% CI: 1.8-10.1), breathlessness (OR=3.2; 95% CI: 1.5-6.9), and decreased level of consciousness (OR=11.4; 95% CI: 1.1-109.2). Symptom duration ≥15 days was also significantly associated with higher distress levels (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was observed, particularly among individuals with symptomatic and prolonged COVID-19 illness. Symptom severity and extended disease duration was significantly associated to psychological distress, underscoring the need for targeted mental health interventions in post-pandemic settings.