Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to analyze the early mental health (MH) and quality of life (QoL) of discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which can provide a scientific basis for the further development of intervention programs.Methods: In total, 108 subjects participated in this study, including an experimental group (90 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from March to April 2020 and hospitalized in Wuhan China Resources & WISCO General Hospital, Wuhan, China, 83.3%) and a control group (18 healthy participants, 16.7%). Their MH and QoL were measured through the 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2), the Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), the Self-rating depression scale (SDS), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The results of questionnaires were compared between these two groups.Results: (1) Comparison of anxiety status: among 90 discharged patients with COVID-19, 30 patients (33.3%) had a state of anxiety. Compared with healthy participants and the general population, patients with COVID-19 in the early stages of discharge had a higher incidence of anxiety and more severe anxiety symptoms (P < 0.05). (2) Comparison of depression status: among 90 discharged patients with COVID-19, 29 patients (32.2%) had a state of depression. Compared with healthy participants and the general population, patients with COVID-19 in the early stages of discharge had a higher incidence of depression and more severe depression symptoms (P < 0.05). (3) Comparison of QoL: 78 patients (86.7%) presented a decrease in physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and 73 patients (81.1%) presented a decrease in psychology-related QoL. The SF-12v2 physical component summary (PCS) and the SF-12v2 mental component summary (MCS) of patients were significantly lower than those of healthy people, especially in physical function (PF), vitality (VT), social function (SF), and mental health (MH) (all P < 0.05). (4) Gender differences in mental health and the QoL among patients with COVID-19: women had more severe anxiety/depression symptoms than men (P < 0.05). The scores of women in all dimensions of SF-12V2 were lower than those of men, and there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in PCS, PF, general health (GH), VT, and role-emotional (RE) (P < 0.05).Conclusion: During the early phase after being discharged, patients with COVID-19 might experience negative emotions, such as anxiety or depression, and also problems with reduced QoL, especially among female patients. Therefore, an intervention plan should focus on strengthening psychological condition and improving physical function, and gender-specific rehabilitation programmes should be adapted to improve psychological status and QoL.
Highlights
An outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019
On February 11, 2020, the WHO officially named the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [1]
Considering studies reporting the physical and psychological conditions of patients with COVID-19 after discharge from hospital are rare, the purpose of this study is to investigate the early psychology and QoL of clinically cured and discharged patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, a city heavily affected by novel coronavirus 2019, so as to provide a basis for further scientific intervention plans
Summary
An outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. On February 11, 2020, the WHO officially named the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [1]. Many people in other countries worldwide were found to be infected with the respiratory infectious disease. As of March 31, 2020, COVID-19 had caused 862,234 confirmed infection cases and 42,424 deaths, posing an important threat to the lives and health of the global population [2]. As the most severely affected city in Hubei Province, the health consequences of these patients with COVID-19 have attracted worldwide attention and need to be evaluated urgently
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