Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in mental distress such as phobic anxieties, depressive reactions, hypochondriac concerns, and insomnia. Among the causes are risk of infection and prolonged isolation. This study aimed to analyze psychopathological variables and dysfunctional lifestyles related to adequate therapeutic compliance in kidney transplant recipients.Methods: Eighty-nine kidney transplant recipients were evaluated using an online protocol including a questionnaire concerning habits, lifestyle and psychophysical well-being in the COVID-19 period, the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) and the SF-36 Health Survey to evaluate the perception of their physical and emotional health.Results: Of these recipients, 28.6% reported changes in their emotional state. Sleep quality deteriorated for 16.1%. Anxiety (M = 5.57, r = 0.33; p < 0.05) and phobia (M = 6.28, r = 0.26; p < 0.05) correlated with concerns related to physical health. There was no negative impact on relational and socialization aspects, which were likely well compensated by the use of remote technologies such as video phone calls, Zoom meetings and use of computers (r = 0.99; r = 0.80; p < 0.05).Conclusions: It would be interesting to maintain this remote visit and interview mode to monitor, on a clinical and psychological level, kidney transplant recipients in subsequent follow-ups (12–18 months), to check for any psychopathological disorders and/or changes in their resilience capacity in the Coronavirus emergency.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in mental distress such as phobic anxieties, depressive reactions, hypochondriac concerns, and insomnia
Regarding the perception of the risk of contagion and the level of stress caused by COVID-19, the problem becomes more evident for subjects with chronic diseases such as cancer patients and immunosuppressed patients as chronic immunosuppression is a known risk factor for viral and bacterial infections
From the answers to the questionnaire concerning the emotional state and psychophysical well-being in the period COVID19, completed by 89 kidney transplant recipients, in 50% [45] of the sample, the COVID-19 pandemic did not change the perception of their general state of health prior to the COVID-19 period (Item n. 1), nor was any concern about illness recorded
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in mental distress such as phobic anxieties, depressive reactions, hypochondriac concerns, and insomnia. The causes of stress have been numerous: fear of contagion, prolonged isolation, denied grieving, and fears for hospitalized relatives for whom visits are not allowed with inevitable effects on mental health [5, 6] Following isolation, another interesting fact reported in the literature concerns the loss of contact with external events, the mass media becoming the only source of information, but the topic dealt with refers only to the epidemic with some of the information being incorrect or contradictory [7,8,9]. According to Steven Stosny, the spasmodic search for information can cause “headline stress disorder,” an anxiety disorder linked to the media, characterized by a feeling of stress and anxiety [10] Another psychopathological consequence of the pandemic and isolation linked to the risk of infection is depressive disorder. It is essential to counteract the uncontrolled antiviral inflammatory response and prevent transplant rejection [12,13,14]
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