The validated scale comprises of 10 items rated on a 5 point Likert scale with minimum and maximum scores of 0 and 40 respectively. Perceived stress scale 10 (PSS 10) developed by Sheldon Cohen in 1983 was used to assess stress. Perceived stress was assessed using Perceived Stressed Scale 10. Variables pertaining to availability and accessibility of healthcare during lockdown were considered as well. The demographic and social variables included age, gender, residence, education, occupation, income, marital status, type of family, total number of family members, number of elderly members, job and income status during lockdown period, any addiction, addiction behavior during lockdown, history of violence. The present study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted through the online platform among adult (18 years and above) residents of India.Ī Google form was created including a set of questionnaires, about participant's socio-demographic and economic characteristics. Thus the current study was contemplated with the following objectives:
However there is paucity of data on the social consequences of 'Lockdown' due to the Covid 19 pandemic and its relationship to perceived stress among Indian adults.
Studies conducted in India reported moderate to high level of perceived stress among adults with increased predisposition to Post traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). A review of existing literature by Rajkumar PR revealed that the proportion of symptoms of anxiety and depression varied from 16% to 28% and that of self-reported stress was 8%. Plethora of literature published during this period suggested that lockdown and the pandemic resulted in psychological challenges amidst the general population.Ī study conducted in Spain noted that nearly one fourth of their subjects (24.7%) had moderate to severe psychological impact during the Covid 19 pandemic. Such a situation might lead to various social problems like reduction in income, loss of work, domestic violence, and constraints in availing essential commodities and services, difficulty in taking care of morbid elderly persons due to absence of care givers, inaccessibility to health care which can lead to stress. The government advised for 'work from home' as far as practicable. Educational Institutions, shops, restaurants, cinema and theatres were shut down. With imposition of lockdown, people were confined to their homes and movement was restricted. Social distancing is considered as a crucial strategy to curb the pandemic. At the wake of the Corona virus outbreak, India went into a nationwide complete lockdown from 25 th March 2020 with a view to flatten the rising epidemic curve. India reported its first case on 29 th January 2020, and the rapid spread was observed from 1 st week of March 2020. In order to break the chain of infection, movement of people were restricted by imposing Lockdowns in several countries the world. The containment measures comprised frequent hand washing or sanitizing, social distancing and appropriate use of masks, maintenance of cough etiquette. The disease spectrum varies from mild influenza like illness to severe acute respiratory illness associated with considerable mortality and morbidity. Thus this Public health Emergency of International Concern was declared as Pandemic by WHO on March 11 th 2020. The outbreak of Corona virus, COVID 19 which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019 overwhelmed the entire world within a short span of two to three months.
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