Residency Training Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Impact on Mental Health and Training, a Lesson From Iran Publisher Pubmed



Moini A^{1, 2, 3} ; Maajani K⁴ ; Omranipour R^{1, 5} ; Zafarghandi MR⁶ ; Aleyasin A⁷ ; Oskoie R⁸ ; Alipour S^{1, 9}
Source: BMC Medical Education Published:2021

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has affected the training programs and the clinical schedules of surgical wards in many countries, including Iran. Also, the continuous involvement with COVID-19 patients has caused stress in health care workers; among them, residents are on the frontlines of care delivery. Therefore, we designed a study to assess the mental effects of these circumstances, and the effects on General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology residency training in the busiest surgical departments of our university. Methods: Participants of this cross-sectional study were residents of General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and the conventional sampling method was used. We used a questionnaire consisting of 47 questions (mostly using multiple choice questions and answers on the Likert scale) about personal, familial, and demographic characteristics; training activities, and mental effects of COVID-19. Results: The response rate was 63.5%. (127 filled questionnaires). Around 96% of the residents had emotional problems, 85.9% were highly stressed about contracting COVID-19, 81.3% were worried about transferring it to their families; and 78% believed that their residency training had been impaired. Conclusion: Overall, our study shows the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health and the training of residents. We propose that appropriate emotional support and suitable planning for compensation of training deficits is provided for residents. © 2021, The Author(s).