Patients' Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic: The Relationship Between Potential Pandemic-Induced Disruptions, Ontological Security, and Adaptive Responses in Taizhou, China

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed the social environment of most individuals around the world and has profoundly impacted people's lives, ontological security, and behavior. Among them, the patients are one of the groups most influenced by the pandemic.ObjectiveThe present research aimed to study the relationship of COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruption to patients' daily lives, ontological security, and patients' responses to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and explore the role of ontological security.MethodsThis article was based on an online structured questionnaire study conducted among hospitalized patients in Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, China, from 8 July to 11 August 2021. We analyzed the data using the multivariate regression model and mediation analysis method.ResultsThe results showed that the higher the pandemic-induced disruption to inpatients' lives, the better behavior would be taken by hospitalized patients to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the perceived scarcity of ontological security played a mediating role in this process. Higher pandemic-induced disruption to patients' lives increased the ontological insecurity which further, in turn, reduced patients' good practice toward measures to prevent the novel coronavirus.ConclusionThese findings provided direct evidence for the relationship between pandemic-induced disruption, scarcity of ontological security, and patients' prevention behavior. It suggested that there was a need to emphasize patients' ontological security. Overall, these findings suggested that it is important to emphasize the mental health among patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and implement strategies to offer psychological support when needed.

Experiences of Social Isolation in Older Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 and Their Close Relatives: A Qualitative Study

“…On the surface, the patients and the relatives seem content with the provided care; however, these expressions could also be interpreted as efforts to adapt to an uncontrollable situation. Lou et al [32] describe COVID-19 as life-threatening and disruptive to lives of individuals and how patients' adaptive responses with good behavior during healthcare contacts. They also suggest a need for HCPs to focus on patients' ontological security.…”

Correlation Between Ontological Insecurity and Daily Epidemic Prevention Behavior Among Inpatients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The questionnaire comprised 3 parts: (1) demographic information, including age, sex, residence, education, and occupation, and (2) an ontological insecurity scale. 21 , 22 The scale consists of 9 items, each answered on a Likert-type scale with “strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree,” counting for 0 to 4 points, respectively. The scores of each item are added to obtain the total score of this category; the total score range is 0 to 36.…”