Abstract
Understanding the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in quarantined/isolated individuals is essential for decreasing morbidity and mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a paucity of evidence quantifying PTSD status globally during confinement in quarantine/isolation facilities during COVID-19. Therefore, we aimed to assess the PTSD status and factors contributing to PTSD development in quarantined/isolated people during pandemic. Using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scale, our multicentre, multinational, and cross-sectional online survey assessed the psychological impacts on the quarantine/isolation experience of participants suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, their PTSD status, and various correlates with developing PTSD. We had 944 (35.33%) valid responses (51.1% from females), mostly from Asian countries (635, 71.4%), and 33.9% were healthcare workers. The number of quarantine days in the PTSD symptoms group (using the IES-R cutoff of 24 for symptomatic or full PTSD) was significantly shorter compared to the non-PTSD group (14 (range 14–40) vs. 14 (14–23.75), p = 0.031). Lower rates of PTSD symptoms were observed in participants practicing Buddhist religion than in participants having no religion (OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13–0.68; p = 0.005); individuals with vocational training had a higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms (OR: 2.28 (1.04–5.15); p = 0.043) compared to university graduates. Individuals forced to be quarantined/isolated had higher odds of developing PTSD symptoms than those voluntarily quarantined/isolated (OR: 2.92 (1.84–4.74); p < 0.001). We identified several PTSD correlations among individuals quarantined/isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, including religious practice, reason for quarantine/isolation, education level, and being a case of the infection. These findings can inform worldwide policies to minimize the adverse effects of such social control measures.
Highlights
The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has significantly affected people worldwide.In the absence of definitive treatments and vaccines, health organizations and ministries employed various non-pharmacological interventions to respond to the pandemic situation [1]
We aimed to assess the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status of quarantined/isolated people globally during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the various correlations involved in developing PTSD by using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scale
Our survey examined some of the critical factors regarding the quarantine and isolation experience during the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to the development of PTSD symptoms in affected people
Summary
The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has significantly affected people worldwide.In the absence of definitive treatments and vaccines, health organizations and ministries employed various non-pharmacological interventions to respond to the pandemic situation [1]. Some of them included physical distancing and lockdowns with the isolation of COVID-19 confirmed and suspected patients, quarantine of exposed individuals, travel restrictions, school and workplace closures, cancellation of mass gatherings, rapid testing, proper allocation and use of personal protective equipment, and maintenance of personal hygiene [2,3]. These measures partly controlled the COVID-19 outbreak and reduced disease transmission, as evident in China, they caused a negative effect on people’s mental health worldwide [3,4,5,6]. The presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was noted in quarantined/isolated individuals, healthcare workers (HCWs), and survivors of previous pandemics, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern
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