A quantitative and qualitative study on the neuropsychiatric sequelae of acutely ill COVID-19 inpatients in isolation facilities

Abstract

This study examined the neuropsychiatric sequelae of acutely ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection who received treatment in hospital isolation wards during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten COVID-19 patients who received treatment in various hospitals in Chongqing, China; 10 age- and gender-matched psychiatric patients; and 10 healthy control participants residing in the same city were recruited. All participants completed a survey that collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms in the past 14 days and psychological parameters. Face-to-face interviews with COVID-19 patients were also performed using semi-structured questions. Among the COVID-19 patients, 40% had abnormal findings on the chest computed topography scan, 20% had dysosmia, 10% had dysgeusia, and 80% had repeated positivity on COVID-19 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. COVID-19 and psychiatric patients were significantly more worried about their health than healthy controls (p = 0.019). A greater proportion of COVID-19 patients experienced impulsivity (p = 0.016) and insomnia (p = 0.039) than psychiatric patients and healthy controls. COVID-19 patients reported a higher psychological impact of the outbreak than psychiatric patients and healthy controls, with half of them having clinically significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. COVID-19 and psychiatric patients had higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress than healthy controls. Three themes emerged from the interviews with COVID-19 patients: (i) The emotions experienced by patients after COVID-19 infection (i.e., shock, fear, despair, hope, and boredom); (ii) the external factors that affected patients’ mood (i.e., discrimination, medical expenses, care by healthcare workers); and (iii) coping and self-help behavior (i.e., distraction, problem-solving and online support). The future direction in COVID-19 management involves the development of a holistic inpatient service to promote immune and psychological resilience.

Consultation liaison psychiatry for COVID-19 inpatients: A novel care delivery program in Morocco

“…These exceptional circumstances may disrupt the normal mourning process and expose bereaved inpatients with COVID-19 to complicated grief (Simon, 2013 ). Other factors may be involved in the occurrence of neuropsychiatric sequelae in COVID-19 patients who received treatment in the hospital isolation wards, such as the emotions experienced by patients after being infected, external factors like discrimination and quality of medical care; and psychological factors like coping and self-help behavior (Hao et al, 2020 ).…”

Gastroenterologists Reveal More Digestive Symptoms in COVID-19 Patients than Nongastroenterologists in Fever Clinic

“…However, the data in this study permitted an early outcome assessment of the clinical characteristics of gastrointestinal findings with COVID-19 in the fever clinic and can be valuable for those who need early triage through inquiry. Finally, the study did not explore psychiatric comorbidity that was reported in COVID-19 patients which is discussed by Hao et al and psychiatric comorbidity indeed could also induce multiple digestive symptoms [ 16 ]. Although gastroenterologists may pay less attention to COVID-19 symptoms of other systems (respiratory, cardiac, etc.…”

COVID‐19 and the two‐way relationship with neuropsychiatric disorders

“…In a China‐based study, Hao and colleagues 11 examined the neuropsychiatric manifestations of ten patients infected with COVID‐19 who had been treated on hospital isolation wards, comparing them with 10 age‐ and gender‐matched psychiatric patients as well as 10 healthy control participants. All participants completed a survey pertaining to their psychiatric and physical symptoms, followed by semi‐structured interviews with the COVID‐19 patients.…”