Using Mindfulness to Reduce Anxiety and Depression of Patients With Fever Undergoing Screening in an Isolation Ward During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Frontiers in Psychology

Man Ye¹  Jin Huang¹  Haihong Tan²  Yuping Liu²  Jin Zhou²  Xue Li²  Yubiao He²  Sizhu Huyang³  Daxing Wu⁴ 

[1] Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China;Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China;Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China;Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China;National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China;

关键词: coronavirus disease 2019;    brief mindfulness intervention;    isolation ward;    anxiety;    depression;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.664964

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread globally. This infectious disease affects people not only physically but also psychologically. Therefore, an effective psychological intervention program needs to be developed to improve the psychological condition of patients screened for fever during this period. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on patients with suspected fever in a screening isolation ward awaiting results of the COVID-19 test. The Faces Scale and the Emotional Thermometer Tool were used to investigate 51 patients who were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. All patients completed self-rating questionnaires online at the time they entered the isolation ward and before they were informed of the results. The intervention group listened to the mindfulness audios through hospital broadcasts in the isolation ward before their lunch break and while they slept. Compared with the control group, the intervention group’s life satisfaction score increased (F = 4.02, p = 0.051) and the emotional thermometer score decreased (F = 8.89, p = 0.005). The anxiety scores (F = 9.63, p = 0.003) and the needing help scores decreased significantly (F = 4.95, p = 0.031). Distress (F = 1.41, p = 0.241), depression (F = 1.93, p = 0.171), and anger (F = 3.14, p = 0.083) also decreased, but did not reach significance. Brief mindfulness interventions can alleviate negative emotions and improve the life satisfaction of patients in the isolation ward who were screened for COVID-19 during the waiting period.

【 授权许可】

CC BY