Assessment of Emotional Distress among Hepatitis C Patients Undergoing Antiviral Therapy at Jinnah Hospital Lahore

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a significant worldwide health issue, causing mental and psychological distress in individuals, resulting in heightened stress and depression. Objective: To assess the emotional distress and assess the relationship between emotional distress and demographic variables of hepatitis c patients undergoing antiviral therapy at Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional study design was used for this study. The study was carried out in Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Sample size of 108 patients is calculated with 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. Data were collected by using self-developed through convenient sampling technique. Both Male and female conscious patient, have a confirmed diagnosis of Hepatitis C and on antiviral therapy for 12 weeks were included in the study. Patients with Liver Cirrhosis and emotional trauma were excluded from study. An adopted Emotional Distress scale, consists of 14 questions was used to collect data from patients Emotional Distress Scale was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Chi square test applied to assess association between emotional distress and demographic variables of Hepatitis C patients. Results: The result showed that among 108, the most of the participants are the age group of 18-40 years and 58.3% are female. Emotional distress among hepatitis C patients undergoing antiviral therapy revealed varying degrees of emotional experiences and majority 45.4% of participants had severe distress. Conclusions: It was concluded that majority experienced severe emotional distress during antiviral therapy, offering valuable insights for interventions.