a small study published in may in the indian journal psychiatry reveals how dealing with covid pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of doctors the who participated in the study 60 or 395 reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and 53 349 said they are experiencing depression due reasons like longer duty hours involvement high risk procedures washing hands at regular intervals and being ostracised in article published in time magazine in un secretary general antonio gutteres writes that the virus is not only our physical health but also mental grief at the loss of loved ones at loss of isolation restrictions on movement difficult family dynamics uncertainty for the future each of these on own can trigger or distress today many people are suffering simultaneously healthcare workers are among those most deeply affected wrote gutteres while the pressures the pandemic on the doctors a bit less now and better managed but the initial chaos of first two months has taken a toll on their mental health and some are dealing its effects dr prashant borade works as the head critical care unit global hospitals in since the pandemic started dr borade seen of his colleagues leave global a hospital and non covid facility that s because they could nt deal with the stress in treating there has to be a trust factor the trusts that she is in able hands if the doctor s well is getting then it s in the best interest both the doctor that the doctor no longer them says borade who himself experienced anxiety while at the forefront of covid fight he even contracted the virus and recovered right we have a few doctors are taking therapy for symptoms says dr borade who copes with his anxiety by completely shutting his mind for two hours every does not think of the hospital patients or and instead into music and other hobbies dr behram pardiwala an internal medicine specialist with wockhardt hospital says that he feel anxious he is on the wrong of 60 and a bit overweight i am vulnerable i need to overcome anxiety and face the reality says pardiwala who re started his practice about 10 days ago invariably you will be with some covid patient so fear is there a doctor has to put up a brave front nobody would seek medical help for this he adds we may of doctors as endurance athletes who are used 30 hour shifts to death and pain blood but statistics show that physicians twice likely die by suicide than general lorna m director of emergency department new york presbyterian allen hospital