COVID-19-Related Fear, Risk Perception, and Safety Behavior in Individuals with Diabetes.

Venja Musche,Theresa Schadendorf,Susanne Tan,Benjamin Weismüller,Alexander Bäuerle,Martin Teufel,Hannah Kohler,Adam Schweda,Madeleine Fink,Eva-Maria Skoda,Nora Dörrie,Anita Robitzsch

doi:10.3390/healthcare9040480

Venja Musche, Theresa Schadendorf + Show 10 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040480

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Abstract

(1) The aim of the study is to assess the psychological burden of individuals with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to matched controls. (2) Over the course of eight weeks, 9 April to 3 June 2020, 253 individuals with diabetes and 253 matched controls, using Propensity Score Matching (PSM), participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed an anonymous survey including demographics, depressive symptoms (PHQ-2), generalized anxiety (GAD-7), COVID-19-related fear, risk perception, and safety behavior. (3) While patients with diabetes expected their risk of infection similar to controls, they reported a higher probability of the occurrence of symptoms, severe course, and dying of COVID-19. Patients with diabetes showed no elevated generalized anxiety or depressive symptoms. However, they reported higher COVID-19-related fear and more adherent and dysfunctional safety behavior compared to controls. (4) From a public health view, it seems encouraging that despite the somatic risk condition, generalized anxiety and depression are not higher in patients with diabetes than in controls. Patients with diabetes report higher COVID-19-related fear, increased risk perception, and behavioral changes. This suggests that individuals with diabetes, as a significant risk group of severe COVID-19, show an adequate perception and functional reaction to the current pandemic.

Highlights

The current pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been a constant challenge for politics, the health system, research, and everyday life
Analyses of fatalities and patients who have had a severe course of COVID-19 show that people with the number of chronic diseases are at increased risk [2]
The present study examined the psychological burden of individuals with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

The current pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2, shortened as coronavirus) has been a constant challenge for politics, the health system, research, and everyday life. Due to the increasing number of infections, it is still a highly topical issue. With an acute infection rate of 108,153,741confirmed cases worldwide and 2,381,295 deaths (until 14 February 2021), this is one of the largest pandemics in history [1]. Analyses of fatalities and patients who have had a severe course of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) show that people with the number of chronic diseases are at increased risk [2]. Further medical research has shown that individuals with diabetes, in particular, are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 [3]. There is the hypothesis that patients with diabetes are vulnerable to an inflammatory storm [4]

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