13
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
2 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on People With Multiple Sclerosis

      research-article

      Read this article at

      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has radically changed the world in a few weeks. Italy has been one of the first and most affected countries with more than 30,000 deaths up to now. Public health measures as quarantine or national lockdown are necessary to limit the spread of infectious diseases, but it is unsurprising that depriving people of their liberty has negative psychological effects. This is especially the case for people with chronic diseases, including neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS). People with MS (PwMS) have a higher burden of neuropsychiatric comorbidities and are known to undertake maladaptive coping strategies in stress conditions. The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on mental health of an Italian cohort of PwMS in comparison with healthy controls (HCs).

          Methods: A total of 60 PwMS and 50 HCs (chosen among patients' cohabitants) were asked to answer a Web-based survey. This survey inquired about the impact of COVID-19 on patient's quality of life, job, and daily routine. Mood, fatigue, and sleep quality were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the Generalized Anxiety Disease 7 (GAD-7), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

          Results: Overall, patients had higher scores of BDI, FSS, and PSQI, and these differences were statistically significant ( p < 0.05). When we looked at the subscores of the BDI, we detected a statistically significant difference for the neurovegetative part—that concerns with sleep, appetite, sex, and quality of sleep ( p < 0.05). One out of five patients reported new symptoms or worsening of known symptom, in particular, sensory disturbances, and fatigue. However, no symptoms were severe enough to require hospitalization. When we looked for correlations among variables, we found that there was a significant relationship between unemployment and BDI total score, GAD-7, and PSQI in MS group. The presence of new symptoms or the worsening of symptoms positively related to FSS and to PSQI.

          Discussion: We identified that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic had a significant impact on the psychological status of patients with MS. Compared with the general population, PwMS presented a higher burden of depressive symptoms, a worse sleep quality and perceived an increase in fatigue level, one of the most disabling symptoms of MS. The COVID-19 epidemic poses a challenge to psychological resilience. More studies are warranted to better understand the long-term consequences of the pandemic on mental health of vulnerable people during the disease outbreaks.

          Related collections

          Most cited references56

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence

          Summary The December, 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak has seen many countries ask people who have potentially come into contact with the infection to isolate themselves at home or in a dedicated quarantine facility. Decisions on how to apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence. We did a Review of the psychological impact of quarantine using three electronic databases. Of 3166 papers found, 24 are included in this Review. Most reviewed studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma. Some researchers have suggested long-lasting effects. In situations where quarantine is deemed necessary, officials should quarantine individuals for no longer than required, provide clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols, and ensure sufficient supplies are provided. Appeals to altruism by reminding the public about the benefits of quarantine to wider society can be favourable.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: found
            Is Open Access

            Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China

            Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern and poses a challenge to psychological resilience. Research data are needed to develop evidence-driven strategies to reduce adverse psychological impacts and psychiatric symptoms during the epidemic. The aim of this study was to survey the general public in China to better understand their levels of psychological impact, anxiety, depression, and stress during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The data will be used for future reference. Methods: From 31 January to 2 February 2020, we conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques. The online survey collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms in the past 14 days, contact history with COVID-19, knowledge and concerns about COVID-19, precautionary measures against COVID-19, and additional information required with respect to COVID-19. Psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and mental health status was assessed by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: This study included 1210 respondents from 194 cities in China. In total, 53.8% of respondents rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe; 16.5% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 28.8% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 8.1% reported moderate to severe stress levels. Most respondents spent 20–24 h per day at home (84.7%); were worried about their family members contracting COVID-19 (75.2%); and were satisfied with the amount of health information available (75.1%). Female gender, student status, specific physical symptoms (e.g., myalgia, dizziness, coryza), and poor self-rated health status were significantly associated with a greater psychological impact of the outbreak and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Specific up-to-date and accurate health information (e.g., treatment, local outbreak situation) and particular precautionary measures (e.g., hand hygiene, wearing a mask) were associated with a lower psychological impact of the outbreak and lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: During the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, more than half of the respondents rated the psychological impact as moderate-to-severe, and about one-third reported moderate-to-severe anxiety. Our findings identify factors associated with a lower level of psychological impact and better mental health status that can be used to formulate psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: a web-based cross-sectional survey

              Highlights • The COVID-19 outbreak significantly affects the mental health of Chinese public • During the outbreak, young people had a higher risk of anxiety than older people • Spending too much time thinking about the outbreak is harmful to mental health • Healthcare workers were at high risk for poor sleep
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Front Neurol
                Front Neurol
                Front. Neurol.
                Frontiers in Neurology
                Frontiers Media S.A.
                1664-2295
                30 October 2020
                2020
                30 October 2020
                : 11
                : 580507
                Affiliations
                [1] 1Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma , Rome, Italy
                [2] 2NeXT: Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University , Rome, Italy
                Author notes

                Edited by: Letizia Leocani, San Raffaele Hospital (IRCCS), Italy

                Reviewed by: Jordi A. Matias-Guiu, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Spain; Giacomo Casella, Thomas Jefferson University, United States

                *Correspondence: Fioravante Capone f.capone@ 123456unicampus.it

                This article was submitted to Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Neurology

                Article
                10.3389/fneur.2020.580507
                7662111
                33193033
                915ba799-fc3e-4623-85e3-7472ebc5ac52
                Copyright © 2020 Motolese, Rossi, Albergo, Stelitano, Villanova, Di Lazzaro and Capone.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

                History
                : 06 July 2020
                : 14 September 2020
                Page count
                Figures: 2, Tables: 1, Equations: 0, References: 56, Pages: 8, Words: 6434
                Categories
                Neurology
                Original Research

                Neurology
                multiple sclerosis,covid - 19,anxiety,depression,sleep quality,fatigue,social isolation
                Neurology
                multiple sclerosis, covid - 19, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, fatigue, social isolation

                Comments

                Comment on this article