Analysis of mental health in patients, who have had SARS CoV-2 at the primary level of health care

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe multiorgan disease that can affect mental health as well. The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospectively the mental state of patients, who have had COVID - 19 at the primary level of health care according to medical documentation. Materials and methods: 70 outpatient charts of patients aged from 31 to 80 years who have had laboratory-confirmed SARS CoV-2 and received primary health care, were processed. Conducted: assessment for the presence and determination of the severity of depression based on the scale of PHQ 9; screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Breslau et al., 1999). Conclusions: patients, who have had SARS CoV-2, the moderate severity of depressive syndrome prevailed. The risk of forming of PTSD is most presented in patients who have had severe SARS CoV-2, who had inpatient treatment and combined with low quality of life (QOL) at outpatient treatment as well. The increase of anxiety was found in individuals after outpatient and inpatient treatment, and it was accompanied with low QOL. Patients with complaints about cognitive impairment prevailed after inpatient treatment, and determined their QOL as low, especially in men in 100%. Sleep disturbances were detected in 90.3% of patients with complicated course of SARS CoV-2 during inpatient treatment with low QOL. Tachycardia was detected in 61.7% of patients in group 1 and in 52.2% in group 2, that could be a symptom of increased anxiety and PTSD, but it requires differential diagnosis with cardiac pathology.