Challenges and opportunities in mixed method data collection on mental health issues of health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic in India

Authors

  • Ragini Kulkarni ICMR, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Ranjan K. Prusty ICMR, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Tapas Chakma ICMR, National Institute for Research in Tribal Health (ICMR-NIRTH), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
  • Beena Thomas ICMR, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Geetha R. Menon ICMR, National Institute of Medical Statistics, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
  • Ravinder Singh Division of Non-Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
  • Sumit Aggarwal Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
  • M. V. V. Rao ICMR, National Institute of Medical Statistics, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
  • Murugesan Periyasamy ICMR, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Chitra Venkateswaran Department of Psychiatry, Believers Church Medical College, Tiruvalla, Kerala, India
  • Prashant K. Singh ICMR, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Rakesh Balachandar ICMR, National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
  • Ashoo Grover ICMR, National Institute of Pathology, New Delhi, India
  • Bijay K. Mishra ICMR, Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
  • Maribon Viray Department of Psychology, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
  • Rekha Devi ICMR, Regional Medical Research Centre, N.E. Region, Lahowal, Dibrugarh, Assam, India
  • Gajanan Velhal Department of Community Medicine, Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Swapnil Kharnare P. D. Hinduja Hospital and MRC, Mahim, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • Jitenkumar Singh ICMR, National Institute of Medical Statistics, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
  • Jeetendra Yadav ICMR, National Institute of Medical Statistics, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
  • U. Venkatesh Department of Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
  • Deepika Sadawarte Department of Community Medicine, Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Basilea Watson ICMR, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Denny John Department of Public Health, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
  • Geethu Mathew ICMR, Regional Occupational Health Centre-South, National Institute of Occupational Health, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
  • Shalini Singh ICMR, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Kiran Jakhar Department of Psychiatry, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Asha Ketharam ICMR, National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
  • Subrata K. Palo ICMR, Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
  • Krushna C. Sahoo ICMR, Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
  • Jugal Kishore Department of Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
  • Abu H. Sarkar ICMR, Regional Medical Research Centre, N.E. Region, Lahowal, Dibrugarh, Assam, India
  • Samiran Panda Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20220974

Keywords:

Health care workers, COVID-19, Mental health, Mixed method, Telephonic, India

Abstract

Background: The present paper describes the key challenges and opportunities of mixed method telephonic data collection for mental health research using field notes and the experiences of the investigators in a multicenter study in ten sites of India. The study was conducted in public and private hospitals to understand the mental health status, social stigma and coping strategies of different healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Methods: Qualitative and quantitative interviews were conducted telephonically. The experiences of data collection were noted as a field notes/diary by the data collectors and principal investigators.

Results: The interviewers reported challenges such as network issues, lack of transfer of visual cues and sensitive content of data. Although the telephonic interviews present various challenges in mixed method data collection, it can be used as an alternative to face-to-face data collection using available technology.

Conclusions: It is important that the investigators are well trained keeping these challenges in mind so that their capacity is built to deal with these challenges and good quality data is obtained.

Author Biographies

Ragini Kulkarni, ICMR, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Scientist E

Ranjan K. Prusty, ICMR, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Scientist B

Tapas Chakma, ICMR, National Institute for Research in Tribal Health (ICMR-NIRTH), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India

Scientist G

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Published

2022-03-28

How to Cite

Kulkarni, R., Prusty, R. K., Chakma, T., Thomas, B., Menon, G. R., Singh, R., Aggarwal, S., Rao, M. V. V., Periyasamy, M., Venkateswaran, C., Singh, P. K., Balachandar, R., Grover, A., Mishra, B. K., Viray, M., Devi, R., Velhal, G., Kharnare, S., Singh, J., Yadav, J., Venkatesh, U., Sadawarte, D., Watson, B., John, D., Mathew, G., Singh, S., Jakhar, K., Ketharam, A., Palo, S. K., Sahoo, K. C., Kishore, J., H. Sarkar, A., & Panda, S. (2022). Challenges and opportunities in mixed method data collection on mental health issues of health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic in India. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 10(4), 838–844. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20220974

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Section

Original Research Articles