Is the act of mandatory and prolonged in-hospital quarantine a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health among individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection?
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects mental health. Our study aimed to investigate whether the act of mandatory and prolonged in-hospital quarantine is a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health among individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection.
Materials and methods: A mixed survey-based cross-sectional study included 300 Covid-19 patients who filled Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21), a 36-item health survey of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36), Insomnia Severity Scale (ISS), Impact of Event Scale (IES) with two subscales - Intrusion (IES-I), and Avoidance (IES-AS) and a questionnaire designed for research purposes.
Results: Lower scores on IES-AS, higher scores on IES-I, and in-hospital quarantine are good predictors of high results on the Stress subscale. In-hospital quarantine, lower IES-AS scores, higher IES-I scores, and male gender are significant predictors of higher scores on the Depression subscale. Also, higher scores on IES-I as well as in-hospital quarantine are significant predictors of higher scores on the Anxiety subscale. The presence of insomnia was more pronounced in-hospital quarantined individuals, while levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were nearly twice as pronounced.
Conclusion: Mandatory in-hospital quarantine of individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection is a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health.
References
References
1. World Health Organization. Accessed June 29, 2020. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novelcoronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen.
2. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W et al. China Novel Coronavirus Investigating and Research Team. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020;382(8):727-733.
3. Lu R, X Zhao, J Li et al. Genomic characterization and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding. Lancet 2020;395: 565– 574.
4. Sommer IE, PR Bakker. What can psychiatrists learn from SARS and MERS outbreaks? Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7: 565–566.
5. Mak IW, Chu CM, Pan PC et al. Long-term psychiatric morbidities among SARS survivors. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2009;31, 318–326.
6. Milutinovic S, Veljkovic K, Zlatanovic M et al. Depression/anxiety symptoms in axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis patients in Serbia: a pilot study. Rheumatol Int 2019;39(9):1595-1605.
7. Jenkinson C, Coulter A, Wright L et al. Short-form 36 (SF36) health survey questionnaire: normative data for adults of working age. British Medical Journal 1993;306(6890), 1437-1440.
8. Stojanov J, Malobabic M, Stanojevic G et al. Quality of sleep and health-related quality of life among health care professionals treating patients with coronavirus disease-19. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2020;67(2):175-181.
9. Zhang WR, Wang K, Yin L et al. Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems of Medical Health Workers during the COVID-19 Epidemic in China. Psychother Psychosom 2020;89(4):242-250.
10. Horowitz M, Wilner N, Alvarez W. Impact of Event Scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic medicine 1979; 41(3), 209-218.
11. Huang Y, Zhao N. Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: a web-based cross-sectional survey. Psychiatry Research 2020;288, 112954.
12. Samrah SM, Al-Mistarehi AH, Aleshawi AJ et al. Depression and Coping Among COVID-19-Infected Individuals After 10 Days of Mandatory in-Hospital Quarantine, Irbid, Jordan. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2020;13:823-830.
13. Kar N, Kar B, Kar S. Stress and coping during COVID-19 pandemic: Result of an online survey. Psychiatry Res 2021;295:113598.
14. Dorman-Ilan S, Hertz-Palmor N, Brand-Gothelf A et al. Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in COVID-19 Isolated Patients and in Their Relatives. Front Psychiatry 2020;11:581598.