Anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan, China.

Yu Wang,Amir H. Pakpour,Peng-Fei Li,Ling-Ling Dai,Lin An,Zhe Cheng,Xi Wang,Meng Liu,Liu-Qun Jia,Shu-Jun Wu,Tian-Ci Jiang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0238416

Abstract

Fangcang shelter hospitals were established in China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a countermeasure to stop the spread of the disease. To our knowledge, no research has been conducted on mental health problems among patients in Fangcang shelter hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and major influencing factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients admitted to Fangcang shelter hospitals. From February 23, 2020, to February 26, 2020, we obtained sociodemographic and clinical characteristics information of COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital (Wuhan, China) and assessed their mental health status and sleep quality. Data were obtained with an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a set of items on demographic characteristics, a set of items on clinical characteristics, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Three hundred seven COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital participated in this study. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms were 18.6% and 13.4%, respectively. Poor sleep quality and having ≥ two current physical symptoms were independent risk factors for anxiety symptoms. Female sex, having a family member with confirmed COVID-19, and having ≥ two current physical symptoms were independent risk factors for depressive symptoms. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were found to be common among COVID-19 patients in Fangcang Shelter Hospital, with some patients being at high risk.

Highlights

Originating as a cluster of unexplained cases of pneumonia, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 [1]
Using one-sample-tests, it was determined that both Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) (42.92±7.30) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) (39.77±10.11) scores of the participants of our study were higher than Chinese norms (SAS, 29.78±10.07, n = 1158; SDS, 33.46±8.55, n = 1340) [26], indicating more severe levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients admitted to Fangcang hospitals, compared with the general public
This study identified the prevalence rates and risk factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients in Fangcang shelter hospitals

Summary

Introduction

Originating as a cluster of unexplained cases of pneumonia, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 [1]. Widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease and severe acute respiratory syndrome, are associated with physical illness and with psychological. Anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients distress and symptoms of mental illness [3, 4]. Results from prospective studies have consistently suggested that psychological distress is a predictor of future health and disease outcomes [5]. As with other infectious diseases, preliminary evidence suggests that COVID-19 causes public panic and mental health stress; symptoms of anxiety and depression are common psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may be associated with sociodemographic factors and sleep quality [6,7,8,9]. We know very little about the psychological effects of the disease on patients with COVID-19 [14]

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Discussion

Conclusion