Abstract
Objective: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to pronounced health changes, especially for those infected and psychologically burdened. This cross-sectional study examined the stress experience and coping strategies during home isolation of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals and analyzed differences regarding psychological burden.Methods: SARS-CoV-2 infected respondents were recruited by telephone and completed an online survey during their home isolation. This questionnaire assessed sociodemographic aspects, somatic factors, psychological burden (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder), perceived stress and coping behavior during the home isolation.Results: Out of 838 SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals during the study period, 648 were contacted and 224 home-isolated respondents were included in the study. Disgrace, social restrictions, job fear, health concerns, and infectiousness could be explored as stressors during the home isolation. Fifty-four percent experienced psychological burden. SARS-CoV-2 infected and home-isolated individuals with psychological burden perceived significant stressors more strongly (p < 0.001, r = 0.5) and coped significantly less (p < 0.001, r = 0.3) with their infection and home isolation compared to SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals without psychological burden.Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with psychological burden experienced higher stressors and were unable to cope adaptively with home isolation. Therefore, a general and standardized screening procedure for psychological burden should be established. SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with psychological burden should receive targeted support with professional help in the areas of stress experience and coping skills during their home isolation and beyond to avoid long-term consequences.
Highlights
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on humanity a pandemic of international scope on March 11th 2020 [1], major health-related changes have occurred worldwide
Isolation is the separation of confirmed infected persons. This definition differs from the concept of quarantine, which is the separation of contact persons who are suspected of being infected because they had contact with confirmed infected persons
SARS-CoV-2 Associated Characteristics On average, the survey was completed on the 12th day of isolation
Summary
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on humanity a pandemic of international scope on March 11th 2020 [1], major health-related changes have occurred worldwide. In a German study on patients (n = 301,290) with SARS-CoV-2 associated symptoms in general practices, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 13.8% [3]. The infected are those who, on the one hand, experience the health threat most acutely and, on the other hand, are most urgently exposed to the harshest countermeasures in the fight against the pandemic. Infected persons must be isolated for at least 14 days from the onset of symptoms or from the date of testing positive. Isolation is the separation of confirmed infected persons. Infected individuals and their contacts are not allowed to leave their homes during separation except for SARS-CoV-2 swabs and in emergencies. In Germany, this containment strategy is coordinated by the local district health offices
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