The effects of psychological intervention on anxiety symptoms of COVID19-positive patients isolated in hospital wards

P. Sun, D.-J. Fan, T. He, H.-Z. Li, G. Wang, X.-Z. Zhang, Y.-Q. Wu, Y.-H. Dai

Department of Emergency Medicine, Baoding Second Hospital, Baoding, China. sunpeng66_dr@163.com

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• Infectious Diseases

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore the effects of psychological intervention on alleviating anxiety in patients in novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) isolation wards.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 24th, 2020 and March 5th, 2020, 103 patients were studied. Among these, 32 were patients in the isolation ward of the Infectious Disease Department in Baoding Second Hospital with suspected 2019-nCoV, and 71 patients diagnosed with 2019-nCoV were in the Tangshan Infectious Disease Hospital. Of the 103 patients included, 97 cases were observed in isolation. Using a self-control study design, each patient’s anxiety was scored on a self-rating anxiety scale before receiving the psychological intervention (on the 7th day of isolation) and after receiving the intervention (on the 14th day of isolation). The severity of anxiety was evaluated based on the anxiety score before receiving the intervention. The anxiety scores before and after receiving the intervention were then compared using the paired t-test, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: After receiving the psychological intervention once or twice a week, the anxiety of the patients improved significantly after one week.

CONCLUSIONS: The anxiety of patients with 2019-nCoV in isolation wards can be alleviated through psychological intervention. By alleviating patient anxiety, this intervention also helps patients maintain their psychological wellbeing, which promotes rehabilitation and helps with the control of 2019-nCoV.

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