Post-traumatic stress disorder among COVID-19 survivors in Manipur: A cross-sectional study

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition which can develop among those experiencing psychological trauma and can cause substantial distress and disruption in one's life during a pandemic. This study aims to assess the prevalence of PTSD among the COVID-19 survivors in Manipur and its predictors.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among the COVID-19 survivors aged 18 years and above from July to September 2020 in Manipur using a validated instrument-the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5 (PCL-5) based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for screening PTSD which was administered through phone-based Google Form questionnaire. Descriptive statistics like mean and percentages were used and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for predicting PTSD, taking P < 0.2 and P < 0.05, respectively.

Out of the 228 participants screened, 67.5% were identified for PTSD symptoms. Increasing age of the participants (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.1; 95% CI: 1.19-1.13), being employed in the private sector (AOR: 14.55; 95% CI: 1.50-13.73), urban residence (AOR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.01-4.25), and those referred by a doctor for testing Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) (AOR: 7.90; 95% CI: 2.82-22.1) were found significantly more likely to have the PTSD symptoms.

Nearly three-fourths of the COVID-19 survivors were found to have PTSD symptoms. The active involvement of mental health professionals for psychosocial support and timely counseling along with support from the family and community is needed to avert the deleterious effect of the pandemic on mental health.