POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS IN COVID-19 PATIENTS AFTER INPATIENT TREATMENT

Abstract

Relevance. Patients with severe COVID-19 are at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research of the severity of PTSD symptoms in patients with COVID-19 after treatment in a hospital is carried out in different countries and is an important basis for planning rehabilitation measures with this contingent. Research objective of the study is to assess the severity of PTSD symptoms and to study the sociodemographic, clinical and psychological risk factors for their occurrence in patients with a complicated course of COVID-19 infection after discharge from the hospital. Sample. A complex of techniques examined 46 patients, 27 women, 19 men, average age 55.6 (deviation 10.75), who were in the thoracic department of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care to assess the degree of recovery, from one to several months after treatment for coronavirus infection in a hospital setting. 80 % of patients at the stage of admission to a hospital for treatment had moderate and severe lung damage, 20 % had a mild degree. Methods. PCL-5 Post-Traumatic Stress Questionnaire, A. Beck’s Anxiety and Depression Questionnaires, “Distress Thermometer” is a screening tool developed for the subjective assessment of emotional discomfort in patients with life-threatening diseases and identifying the factors of this discomfort, as well as a methodological complex for assessing the safety of cognitive functions. Results. Clinically significant rates of PTSD symptoms are observed in 3.8 % of the sample, which is close to the lowest values in a wide range of data obtained in studies of patients with COVID-19 in other countries. According to the data obtained, age, education, as well as the severity of lung damage and the time elapsed after treatment do not significantly affect the severity of PTSD symptoms. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD are higher in women than in men, as well as in patients with a greater severity of the subjective severity of the illness. The following psychological factors have a significant positive effect on the risk of PTSD symptoms: conflicts with relatives and fear of stigmatization, financial difficulties and changes in life prospects, risks of sequela and low availability of qualified care. Among the protective factors that mitigate the level of experienced distress, weak but significant negative correlations with emotional support from friends, colleagues and family were revealed. The limitations of the study are related to the small sample of patients examined. Conclusion. In the surveyed sample, the percentage of patients with clinically pronounced symptoms of PTSD is not high. Female gender, a pronounced subjective experience of the severity of the disease, and a high subjective assessment of the difficulties and risks associated with the disease increase the risk of PTSD symptoms in patients with COVID-19 after undergoing hospital treatment.