Psychological states of general practitioners in the context of pandemic Covid-19

Introduction. The Covid-19 pandemic period worsened the mental health of healthcare professionals, including general practitioners (GPs). The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological states of general practitioners in the Lower Normandy region (perceived stress, post -traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], burnout syndrome [BDS] and self -efficacy) in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods. Longitudinal study of GPs in Calvados, Manche and Orne. Four validated psychological selfassessment questionnaires were used: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and General Self -Efficacy Scale (GSES). The initial assessment took place in April 2020, and the second in April 2021. They were sent by post. Results. Initial assessment included 331 respondents (response rate: 26.5%) and one-year follow-up, 158 responses (response rate: 47.7%). Perceived stress and SEP increased significantly (PSS score = 15.3 +/- 7.7 versus 16.8 +/- 8.0, p = 0.001 and score MBI [SEP] = 25.0 +/- 12.6 versus 28.9 +/- 13.8; p < 0.001). The scores IES-R and GSES scores showed little change (IES-R score = 15.4 +/- 14.9 versus 16.6 +/- 16.1; p = 0.18 and GSES score = 32.8 +/- 5.4 versus 32.6 +/- 5.1; p = 0.48). The number of GPs with MS and PTS symptoms increased significantly during follow-up (res- pectively, n = 52/331 (15.7%) versus 57/158 (36.1%); p < 0.001 and n = 34/331 (10.6%) versus 29/158 (18.3%); p < 0.01). Conclusion. This study highlighted a worsening in the mental health of GPs during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued monitoring of the psychological difficulties that healthcare professionals may face, particularly in primary care, seems necessary.