Psychological Distress in Patients with Autoimmune Arthritis during the COVID-19 Induced Lockdown in Italy (original) (raw)
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Shiraz E-Medical Journal
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has called for unprecedented measures, including a national lockdown in Italy. The present study aimed at identifying psychological changes (e.g., changes in depression, stress, and anxiety levels) among the Italian public during the lockdown period, in addition to factors associated with these changes. An online follow-up survey was administered to 439 participants (original sample = 2766), between 28 April and 3 May 2020. A paired sample t-test tested for differences in stress, anxiety, and depression over the period. Multivariate regression models examined associations between sociodemographic variables, personality traits, coping strategies, depression, and stress. Results showed an increase in stress and depression over the lockdown, but not anxiety. Negative affect and detachment were associated with higher levels of depression and stress. Higher levels of depression at the start of the lockdown, as well as fewer coping strateg...
Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, 2020
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health, social, and economic crisis. Healthcare professionals, patients, healthy individuals, and the whole community are under inevitable psychological pressure which may cause different psychological problems as fear, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The aim was to assess the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the attitude, behavior, and mental health of rheumatic patients and to compare them with healthy individuals. This is a case-control study, 360 participants were included and divided into a patient group composed of 180 patients with rheumatic diseases, and a control group composed of 180 healthy people. Data were collected via a self-administered structured questionnaire designed on Google forms. It was sent to participants via social networks and emails to different rheumatic patients and healthy individuals. Mental health was measured by the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5). Results...
Rheumatology International, 2020
We hypothesized that patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) would have increased psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak; therefore, assessed their psychological symptoms and changes in their routine. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in a cross-sectional design in three groups of participants: (1.) patients with RD, (2.) hospital workers, and (3.) high-school teachers/academic staff. Psychiatric status was evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Impact of Event Scale-Revised scale. Overall response rate was 34.7%. We studied 771 patients with RD, 535 hospital workers, and 917 teachers/academic staff. Most of the patients with RD were unwilling to go to the hospital (86%), while 22% discontinued their medications. Biological DMARDS were the most frequent drugs whose doses were altered. Only 4% were willing to take hydroxychloroquine for protection. Moreover, the frequency of anxiety (20%), depression (43%), and post-traumatic stress (28%) among patients with RD were found to be comparable to that found among the teachers/ academic staff (23%, 43% and 29%, respectively), whereas significantly less than that observed among the hospital workers (40%, 62%, and 46%, respectively) (p < 0.001). Female gender, use of social media, having a comorbid disease, or a psychiatric disorder were found to be independently associated with psychiatric symptoms in total study population. The majority of the patients were unwilling to attend outpatient visits and one-fifth skipped or stopped their immunosuppressive agents. Psychiatric symptoms in patient's and teacher's populations were of considerable clinical concern, despite being significantly lower than that observed among the hospital workers.
Middle East Current Psychiatry
BackgroundData have been pouring on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic diseases. This study aimed to address the relationship between the perceived fears of COVID-19 virus (FCV), psychological status, and quality of life (QoL) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during the pandemic. This study included 100 patients with RA and an equal number of control subjects, who were recruited from Zagazig University rheumatology outpatient clinics, Egypt. All subjects were interviewed using the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), Symptom Checklist-90 scale (SCL-90), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Patients were additionally assessed using the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ).ResultsThere were significant differences between both groups in all QoL domains and most psychological dimensions. Most patients with RA experienced moderate-to-high disease activity and mild-to-modera...
Journal of Health Psychology, 2021
journals.sagepub.com/home/hpq 'lockdown', brought considerable disruption to social and economic activities, and reduced access to many essential but non-urgent services (Gupta et al., 2020; Iacobucci, 2020). Research during the pandemic has found evidence of high psychological distress in the general population across different cultures and regions (Liang et al., 2020; Odriozola-González et al., 2020; Xiong et al., 2020). Reasons for this may stem from a combination of factors which initiate and perpetuate psychological distress such as: health-related fear, isolation, confinement, misinformation, changes in daily routine and economic uncertainty (Giordani
Psychological and Physical Distress in Italian People during COVID-19 Pandemic: One Year Later
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The aim of this study was to evaluate the major life changes that Italian people experienced after one year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the psychological and physical impact of COVID-19 within one year of the pandemic situation, and its possible correlation with the positive COVID-19 trend in the Italian region. We invited Italian people to complete a cross-sectional, online survey within a three-week period from 14 March to 4 April 2021. The survey collected data on the participants’ stress and physical levels, attitude, perceived control, norms, personal and professional backgrounds, and place of stay in the last year. We used Student’s t-test and the software package GRETL for Windows to assess the association between the study outcome variables and the explanatory variables (stress, attitude, perceived control, and norms). All participants who declared a level of physical stress in their answer suffered from psychological stress, but not vice versa. The result to be hi...
Cukurova Anestezi ve Cerrahi Bilimler Dergisi, 2021
Aim: This study aims to investigate the psychological symptom levels associated with COVID-19 in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in remission. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 1 and December 31, 2020. Two hundred forty-eight patients meeting the criteria were included in the study. Coronavirus-induced fear, phobia, depression, and anxiety symptoms were evaluated. For this purpose, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Covid-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used. Results: Most of the participants had high levels of fear, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. C19P-S, FCV-19S, BDI, and BAI scores showed significant simultaneous correlations (p<0.05, each other). The scores of the patients using Biological DMARDs (Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) were significantly higher (p <0.001). The scores of the healthcare workers were significantly higher (p <0.001). Among those who interrupted their routine outpatient visits, the rate of those who did not catch COVID-19 was higher (74.7%) (p <0.01). Common risk factors for symptoms of fear, anxiety, and depression associated with COVID-19 were concomitant illness and being a healthcare worker. Conclusions: By transferring current recommendations on COVID-19 and chronic diseases to more patients, exaggerated fear caused by both their diseases and the drugs used can be prevented, and the continuation of the treatment can be contributed. In addition, if necessary, consulting the relevant departments for supportive and medical treatments may contribute to the continuation of the treatment and the prevention of the activation of the disease.