TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychological outcomes after hospitalization for COVID-19: data from a multidisciplinary follow-up screening program for recovered patients
AU - Bonazza, Federica
AU - Borghi, Lidia
AU - Di San Marco, Eugenia Cao
AU - Piscopo, Kyrie
AU - Bai, Francesca
AU - D'Arminio Monforte, Antonella
AU - Vegni, Elena
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Patients who are hospitalized for COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) face an extremely stressful experience that might challenge their mental health. The study aims to describe the psychological condition of recovered patients, focusing on anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as post-traumatic stress. All the recovered COVID-19 patients who accessed to a multidisciplinary follow-up screening program scheduled within two months after their hospital discharge were included. As far as the psychological assessment, patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised for post-traumatic stress. Socio-demographic and clinical data (days of hospitalization, intensity of received care, and number of supportive sessions with the hospital psychologist after the hospitalization) were collected. Descriptive, correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The sample includes 261 patients (68.2% men), aged between 23 and 90 (mean=58.9 st. dev=13.3). High numbers of patients reported anxiety (28%) and depression symptoms (17%), as well as post-traumatic stress (36.4%). Impaired outcomes were associated with female gender, while patient's age was found to be negatively correlated with anxiety symptoms. 13.8% of patients underwent a psychological visit and 6.1% of them were taken in charge for psychological support. Few months after hospital discharge, individuals recovered by COVID-19 reported negative consequences on their mental health. Understanding the impact that COVID-19 and hospitalization have on recovered patients may provide insights about how to develop an effective psychological intervention to help them deal with such psychological distress and prevent further psychopathological effects.
AB - Patients who are hospitalized for COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) face an extremely stressful experience that might challenge their mental health. The study aims to describe the psychological condition of recovered patients, focusing on anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as post-traumatic stress. All the recovered COVID-19 patients who accessed to a multidisciplinary follow-up screening program scheduled within two months after their hospital discharge were included. As far as the psychological assessment, patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised for post-traumatic stress. Socio-demographic and clinical data (days of hospitalization, intensity of received care, and number of supportive sessions with the hospital psychologist after the hospitalization) were collected. Descriptive, correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The sample includes 261 patients (68.2% men), aged between 23 and 90 (mean=58.9 st. dev=13.3). High numbers of patients reported anxiety (28%) and depression symptoms (17%), as well as post-traumatic stress (36.4%). Impaired outcomes were associated with female gender, while patient's age was found to be negatively correlated with anxiety symptoms. 13.8% of patients underwent a psychological visit and 6.1% of them were taken in charge for psychological support. Few months after hospital discharge, individuals recovered by COVID-19 reported negative consequences on their mental health. Understanding the impact that COVID-19 and hospitalization have on recovered patients may provide insights about how to develop an effective psychological intervention to help them deal with such psychological distress and prevent further psychopathological effects.
KW - Anxiety
KW - COVID-19 recovered patients
KW - depression
KW - mental health
KW - post-traumatic stress
KW - Anxiety
KW - COVID-19 recovered patients
KW - depression
KW - mental health
KW - post-traumatic stress
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/230657
U2 - 10.4081/ripppo.2020.491
DO - 10.4081/ripppo.2020.491
M3 - Article
SN - 2239-8031
VL - 23
SP - 247
EP - 255
JO - RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
JF - RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
ER -