Integrative personalized medicine care for adjustment disorder of a post-COVID-19 patient: A CARE-compliant case report

Abstract

Rationale: Depression is a common symptom in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, which can be diagnosed with post-COVID-19 depression or adjustment disorder (AD) of post-COVID-19 syndrome. Recently, there have been reports of treating post-COVID-19 syndrome with herbal interventions. However, there are no studies of AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome treated with an integrative approach. This is a CARE-compliant case report of a patient diagnosed with AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome and improved with integrative personalized medicine care (IPMC). Patient concerns: An 84-year-old female patient presented symptoms of depression, insomnia, palpitations, and dyspepsia after COVID-19 diagnosis. Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with AD due to COVID-19 according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Interventions: The patient was treated with the IPMC approach: conventional Western drugs for symptom improvements with herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion therapies of traditional Korean medicine to enhance her general conditions. Outcomes: Depression, insomnia, palpitations, dyspepsia, and overall quality of life were assessed through various questionnaires before and after treatment. Scores notably decreased across depression scales, and insomnia severity improved significantly. After treatment, gastrointestinal symptoms vanished, and autonomic nervous system balance improved. Quality of life metrics also showed remarkable enhancement. Lessons: This study is the first case report to demonstrate improvement in AD of post-COVID-19 symptoms using IPMC. It is noteworthy that the patient in this study tapered off their antidepressant medication after the treatment with the IPMC approach. Further studies are needed to establish more qualified evidence to show the effectiveness and safety of IPMC for AD of post-COVID-19 syndrome.