Peer Review History

Original SubmissionMay 1, 2021
Decision Letter - Leeberk Raja Inbaraj, Editor

PONE-D-21-14477

Prevalence and severity of secondary traumatic stress and optimism in healthcare professionals in India during COVID-19 lockdown.

PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Parashar,

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Kind regards,

Leeberk Raja Inbaraj, MD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Since Doctors and Nurses reported to have high level of stress, more among doctors-author can a make statement about the relationship of specialty of a doctor and experienced stress.

Author can share recommendations about management of stress for HCPs,it will be helpful for policy makers to implement.

Author can specify the Cronbach alpha of the used tests for the study.

Reviewer #2: Authors have gone for a very novel idea which is very much relevant in present times.

There are definitely few grammatical errors which must be addressed.

Authors need to mention more Indian studies - few are from Indian Journal of Psychiatry and Asian Journal of Psychiatry.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes: Fazle Roub Bhat

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

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Attachments
Attachment
Submitted filename: PONE-D-21-14477_reviewer.pdf
Revision 1

RESPONSE TO REVIEWERS’REPORT(S)

Reviewer 1 Response

(a) Since Doctors and Nurses reported to have high level of stress, more among doctors-author can a make statement about the relationship of specialty of a doctor and experienced stress. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, all the doctors irrespective of their specialization were involved in COVID duties only. Based on their role in broader perspective the clinical group is classified into three subgroups.

[Page-5, paragraph 2; line 5-8]

(b) Author can share recommendations about management of stress for HCPs, it will be helpful for policy makers to implement. Page-13, paragraph 4; line 5-10

(c) Author can specify the Cronbach alpha of the used tests for the study. 1. Secondary traumatic Stress Scale (Page-6, paragraph 2)

2. Life Orientation Test-Revised (Page-6, paragraph 3)

3. Mood (VAS) (Page-7, paragraph 1)

New reference added for Mood (VAS) Cronbach score.

23. Flynn D, van Schaik P, van Wersch A. A comparison of multi-item likert and visual analogue scales for the assessment of transactionally defined coping. Eur J Psychol Assess. 2004;20:49–58.

Reviewer 2 Response

There are definitely few grammatical errors which must be addressed. Needful changes have been incorporated at various places in the revised manuscript. (yellow highlights, apart from the changes mentioned in the list).

Authors need to mention more Indian studies - few are from Indian Journal of Psychiatry and Asian Journal of Psychiatry.

Page-12, paragraph 2 and Page-14, paragraph 4; line 4-10 (multiple new and relevant Indian studies added).

33. Arslan, G., Yıldırım, M., Tanhan, A. et al. Coronavirus Stress, Optimism-Pessimism, Psychological Inflexibility, and Psychological Health: Psychometric Properties of the Coronavirus Stress Measure. Int J Ment Health Addiction .

34. Mathur S, Sharma D, Solanki RK, Goyal MK. Stress-related disorders in health-care workers in COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study from India. Indian J Med Spec 2020;11:180-4

35. Chatterjee SS, Chakrabarty M, Banerjee D, Grover S, Chatterjee SS, Dan U. Stress, Sleep and Psychological Impact in Healthcare Workers During the Early Phase of COVID-19 in India: A Factor Analysis. Front Psychol. 2021 Feb 25;12:611314.

36. Singh RK, Bajpai R, Kaswan P. COVID-19 pandemic and psychological wellbeing among health care workers and general population: A systematic-review and meta-analysis of the current evidence from India. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2021 Jul-Sep;11:100737.

37. Grover S, Dua D, Shouan A, Nehra R, Avasthi A. Perceived stress and barriers to seeking help from mental health professionals among trainee doctors at a tertiary care centre in North India. Asian J Psychiatr 2019;39:143-9.

38. Banerjee D, Vijayakumar HG, Rao T S. ”Watching the watchmen:” Mental health needs and solutions for the health-care workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Int J Health Allied Sci 2020;9, Suppl S1:51-4

Other comments/ suggestions:

1. Change in the name from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders and DSM-IV”.

2. Mention the timeline of first national lockdown. 1. Page-3, paragraph 43 lines 6 to “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and DSM-IV-TR”.)

2. Page-5, paragraph 1, line 8 (The first lockdown was initially stated to be from 25 March 2020 – 14 April 2020 but it was extended post April 14.-in certain states.)

1.Change in table numbering (as table number 1 related to STSS score was added).

1. Table 1 : Page 6 (new addition)

2. Earlier Table 1= Current Table 2 (page-8)

3. Earlier Table 2= Current Table 3 (page-10)

4. Earlier Table 3= Current Table 4 (page-11)

*Table numbers were also updated respectively in the revised manuscript (wherever mentioned).

Note: All of the changes in the revised manuscript are highlighted using YELLOWcolour.

Attachments
Attachment
Submitted filename: RESPONSE TO REVIEWERSdocx.docx
Decision Letter - Leeberk Raja Inbaraj, Editor

Prevalence and Severity of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Optimism in Indian health care professionals during COVID-19 lockdown

PONE-D-21-14477R1

Dear Dr. Parashar,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Leeberk Raja Inbaraj, MD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Recommended in terms of good statistical analysis, data support the conclusions,the manuscript is written well.

**********

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Leeberk Raja Inbaraj, Editor

PONE-D-21-14477R1

Prevalence and Severity of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Optimism in Indian health care professionals during COVID-19 lockdown

Dear Dr. Parashar:

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org.

If we can help with anything else, please email us at plosone@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access.

Kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Leeberk Raja Inbaraj

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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