| The COVID-19 pandemic has created a very critical situation all over the world and has caused a great impact in India. It has undoubtedly disturbed the routine of people and has resulted in many unanticipated changes, leading to severe psychological responses and mental health issues. The purpose of the present study is to identify many psycho-social factors that will help to predict the factors of distress caused among the Indian population during the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The consequences of COVID-19 have impacted not only the physical health but also the mental health of an individual resulting in their deteriorated overall development. To study the implications of COVID-19 and its harmful effects on the mental health of people of India, an online survey was conducted to assess the predictors of distress. The prediction capability of the model was compared with the random forest classifier. It was concluded that a prevalence of high distress was experienced by the Indians during the time of COVID-19. It also provided pragmatic implications for psychological health at both macro and micro levels at the time of epidemiological crises.
Keywords: World Health Organization, Mental Health Implications, Predictors of Distress, Macro and Micro Levels, Epidemiological Crisis. |