PRÁTICAS INTEGRATIVAS COMPLEMENTARES NO TRATAMENTO DA SAÚDE MENTAL DE PACIENTES PÓS COVID-19: ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the use of Complementary Integrative Practices (PICS) and psychological counseling in the treatment of mental health in post-COVID-19 patients. Clinical, interventional and qualitative-quantitative case study, with 15 patients divided into G1 (Acupuncture + myofascial release) and G2 (Laserpuncture + myofascial release), submitted to 12 sessions and psychological follow-up (Group therapy + 4 sessions of individualized psychotherapy) evaluated before and after treatment regarding emotional states (DASS-21). The female sex was prevalent in the studied population, in the age group of 25 to 29 years in G1 (28.57%) and 50 to 54 years in G2 (37.50%), higher education level, with comorbidities, predominance of married in G1 and single in G2. There was a statistically significant difference (p≤0.01) in the three DASS-21 subscales before and after treatments with G1 and G2, with no statistical difference between groups. There was an association between marital status and affective-emotional states, before the treatments, married people were associated with milder levels of stress, anxiety and depression, while single/divorced people had extremely severe levels. After the treatments, the married/divorced ones had levels close to normal, while the single ones reduced the levels to mild to moderate. It is concluded that the PICS associated with psychological follow-up had a positive impact on mental health in post-COVID-19 patients.