COVID-19 Impact in Neurosurgery Residency: Grit in the Face of Pandemic

ABSTRACT Introduction The Coronavirus-19 (COVID) pandemic presented a significant challenge to healthcare providers. Neurosurgeons work with critically ill patients who were at particularly high risk for COVID and the pandemic produced ever-shifting circumstances to allow this continued care. This study explores the psychological impact of the pandemic on neurosurgical residents at a single institution. Methods Residents completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Inventory of Depressive Symptomology 30 (IDS-30) two validated surveys prior to and during the pandemic. PSS scores may range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicative of increased stress. IDS-30 ranges from 0 to 84 with higher scores indicating more severe levels of depression. Survey results were compared collectively amongst residents and statistically analyzed. Results The surveys had 19 out of 28 total responders (68%). Mean score on the PSS was 16.1 pre-pandemic and 14.7 during the pandemic (p>0.05). The mean score on the IDS-30 was 14.7 pre-pandemic and 12.0 during the pandemic (p> 0.05). Matching the survey questionnaire results by each resident revealed an average decrease of 2.3 and 2.4 for the PSS and IDS-30, respectively. Conclusion There were no significant changes in perceived stress or depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Resilience and perseverance are commonly sought traits amongst neurosurgical residents and are components stressed during their training. Neurosurgical residents prove unwavering while caring for patients during the COVID pandemic.