BackgroundA novel coronavirus (SARA-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Within a few weeks, the disease caused by SARA-CoV-2, which is named COVID-19, has escalated into an unprecedented ongoing outbreak with frightening speed, becoming a global health emergency. This study aimed to exam the prevalence and risk factors of acute posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in Chinese people shortly after the massive outbreak of COVID-19.
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has attracted worldwide attention.The COVID-19 outbreak is unique in its rapid transmission and results in heavy stress for the front-line health care workers (HCWs). The current study aimed to exam posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) of HCWs fighting for the COVID-19 and to evaluate their sleep quality after 1-month stressful suffering. Three hundred seventyseven HCWs working in different provinces of China participated in the survey between February 1 and 5. The demographic information was collected first. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were selected to measure PTSSs and sleep quality. Results showed that 1 month after the outbreak, the prevalence of PTSSs was 3.8% in HCWs. Female HCWs were more vulnerable to PTSSs with hazard ratio of 2.136 (95% CI = 1.388-3.286). HCWs with higher exposure level also significantly rated more hyperarousal symptoms (hazard ratio = 4.026, 95% CI = 1.233-13.140). There was a significant difference of sleep quality between participants with and without PTSSs (z value = 6.014, p < .001) and among different groups with various contact frequencies (chi-square = 7.307, p = .026). Path analysis showed that there was a significant indirect effect from exposure level to PTSSs through sleep quality (coefficient = 1.750, 95% CI of Boostroop test = 0.543-2.998). In summary, targeted interventions on sleep contribute to the mental recovery during the outbreak of COVID-19. Understanding the mental health response after a public health emergency might help HCWs and communities prepare for a population's response to disaster.
K E Y W O R D S
BackgroundThe term “loss-of-only-child family” means that the only child in a family passed away or is disabled due to an accident or other events. The parents who cannot conceive or do not adopt another child, are known as Shidu parents in China. This study compares the physical and mental health of Shidu parents with those parents who have not experienced such loss.MethodsThe target group is comprised of parents being Shidu for more than 1 year (N = 95) and the control group is comprised of parents with a living child (N = 97) from the same area as the Shidu parents. Socio-demographic information and physical health outcomes were collected by the adapted questionnaires. PCL-C (PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version), CES-D (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and GHQ-12 (General Health Questionnaire) were applied to evaluate the parents’ physical and mental status.ResultsShidu parents have a higher risk of developing PTSD and depression, and suffer more severe psychiatric disorders compared to parents with a living child. The rate of PTSD in the Shidu group was up to 32.6% and the scores of PCL-C are much higher than the control group. The physical status of Shidu parents were much worse than that of the control group, characterized by higher morbidity of chronic diseases and more hospital visits.ConclusionsShidu parents have more severe mental health problems and a higher rate of chronic diseases than parents who have a living child. Loss of the only child is the most traumatic event for the parents, which is a serious and unique problem in Chinese society that deserves attention. More studies and support are desired to improve the physical and mental health of Shidu parents.
The influence of the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on mental health was poorly understood. The present study aimed to exam sleep problems and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in Chinese immediately after the massive outbreak of COVID-19. A total of 2027 Chinese participated in the present study. Wuhan-expose history, sleep quality and PTSS were measured with self-rating scales. Results showed that there were significant differences of PCL-5 and of sleep quality scores in different data-collection dates (ps<0.05). There were significant differences of PCL-5 scores (t=-2.93, p<0.05) and latency onset of sleep (χ2=9.77, p<0.05) between participants with and without Wuhan-expose history. The interaction effect of Wuhan exposure history× sleep quality significantly influenced PCL-5 (ps<0.05). These results indicate that keeping good sleep quality in individuals with high infectious risk is a way to prevent PTSS.
The study investigated the quarantine of COVID-19 and its impact on mental health. The results showed that there was a significant difference in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 scores between the quarantine group and the non-quarantine group. As a result, the mental health of residents in mandatory quarantine zones urgently requires intervention.
The long-term health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers (HCWs) are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in HCWs in a longitudinal manner. Additionally, we further explored the role of risk perception in the evolution of PTSD over time based on a one-year follow-up study. HCWs were recruited from hospitals in Guangdong, China. Demographic information, the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the risk perception questionnaire were obtained online at two different time points: May to June 2020 (T1), with 317 eligible responses, and June 2021 (T2), with 403 eligible responses. Seventy-four HCWs participated in the survey at both T1 and T2. The results revealed that (1) the PTSD prevalence rate in the HCWs (cut-off = 33) increased from 10.73% at T1 to 20.84% at T2, and the HCWs reported significantly higher PTSD scores at T2 than at T1 (p < 0.001); (2) risk perception was positively correlated with PTSD (p < 0.001); and (3) PTSD at T1 could significantly positively predict PTSD at T2 (β = 2.812, p < 0.01), and this longitudinal effect of PTSD at T1 on PTSD at T2 was mediated by risk perception at T2 (coefficient = 0.154, 95% CI = 0.023 to 0.297). Our data provide a snapshot of the worsening of HCWs’ PTSD along with the repeated pandemic outbreaks and highlight the important role of risk perception in the development of PTSD symptoms in HCWs over time.
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