Is the Modified Distress Thermometer Useful for Screening Pregnant Women With COVID-19 for Psychological Distress?

Abstract

Background: Pregnant women may be more vulnerable than others to the psychological and social effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we try to answer the question -is the modified distress thermometer (m-DT) useful for screening pregnant women with COVID-19 for psychological distress? Methods: We have used the m-DT to screen pregnant women with COVID-19 for psychological distress. A total of 112 pregnant women with COVID-19 were prospectively enrolled. The study participants were asked to rate their distress in the past three days on an 11-point visual analog scale ranging from 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress). They were then asked to fill in the problem list (PL) which accompanied the visual image of the m-DT. To explore the association between these scores and the clinical variables, binary logistic regression tests were carried out.Results: Sixty-eight percent (76/112) of the study subjects experienced significant (m-DT score ≥ 4) COVID-19-related distress. Regression analysis showed that m-DT score of ≥4 had statistically significant associations with gravida status length of quarantine time, the presence of chronic medical or respiratory disease, fears, worry, shortness of breath, and sleep. Multivariable analysis confirmed that the presence of chronic respiratory disease, shortness of breath, and sleep were independent factors associated with significant distress in pregnant women with COVID-19. Conclusion:With the use of m-DT, two-thirds of pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced significant distress. This distress was significantly related to older age, multigravida, exposure to longer quarantine time, presence of underlying medical disorder, and the presence of chronic respiratory disorders. The presence of chronic respiratory disease, shortness of breath, and sleep disturbance were independent factors associated with significant distress in pregnant women with COVID-19.

The usefulness of modified distress thermometer in screening adolescents with COVID‐19 for psychological distress: A prospective study

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Egyptian study evaluating adolescent subjects with COVID‐19 for psychological distress using the m‐DT. We recently used this tool to screen adults 13 and pregnant women 14 with COVID‐19 for distress. We found that 48% of Egyptian adolescents suffered from significant distress in the current study.…”

“…Although psychiatric management of COVID‐19 adolescent patients with significant distress may be beyond the scope of this article, effective screening of those populations could protect against the adverse mental health consequences of COVID‐19. 2 , 4 , 13 , 14 …”

“…Moreover, implementing appropriate and timely screening of adolescents with COVID‐19 using m‐DT and reviewing its results would recommend that adolescents whose scores suggest clinically significant distress should receive appropriate referrals based on the problem areas specified in the PL. 2 , 7 , 13 , 14 , 21 , 22 , 23 …”

“…As shown in our recent publications, 13 , 14 we have utilized the m‐DT (Figure 1 ) to screen the enrolled adolescent subjects for psychological distress, with the use of a cutoff score of ≥4 for significant distress. 13 , 14 …”

“…With its use, 60% and 68% of adults and pregnant women with COVID‐19 experienced significant distress. 13 , 14 …”