Psychological Experiences of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) during and after Hospitalization: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Abstract

During an infectious disease pandemic, patients may experience various psychological issues. Few studies have focused on survivors’ experiences in Hong Kong. This study aimed to assess the psychological impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on survivors during admission to and discharge from COVID-19 wards using a descriptive phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 20 participants aged 30–77 years recently discharged from an isolation ward at an acute care facility and transferred to a community center specializing in pulmonary rehabilitation. Sampling was performed from 1 March 2022 to 3 April 2022. Semi-structured in-person interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim; data analysis was performed using Colaizzi’s approach. The patients experienced two exclusive psychological phases during and after admission. The analysis of the patients’ experiences revealed three themes: (i) navigating uncertainties with mixed feelings and emotions during admission, (ii) adjusting to normal daily life after discharge, and (iii) self-growth after discharge. Our findings may provide empirical evidence for formulating pre-emptive strategies to mitigate the long-term psychological impacts of COVID-19. This investigation is timely and internationally relevant, and policymakers can use these findings to make informed decisions when developing guidelines for structuring the care of patients with COVID-19 during and after hospitalization. Based on our findings, we recommended that psychological support, particularly the provision of time to address patients’ concerns, may be integrated into the care of patients with COVID-19. Additionally, the structure of care may extend beyond the biomedical aspects of the illness to encompass the emotional and social dimension of the patients. To reduce stigmatization, we advise that public health authorities release clear information timely to clarify the misconceptions of the local community.

Facing the Unknown: An Inductive Analysis of the Lived Experience of Medical Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Qualitative studies have shown that several groups of individuals who experienced distress during the pandemic emerged from this experience feeling more liberated [47,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68]. These participant groups varied greatly in terms of demographics and contexts.…”

Differences of Disabling Symptoms between Previously Hospitalized or Non-Hospitalized Currently Working Long-COVID Survivors One Year after Infection: A Descriptive Study

“…At the time of discharge, the physiological systems are impaired, physiological reserves are depleted, and the body cannot effectively avoid or mitigate health threats [ 8 ]. In this line, hospitalization can imply psycho-physiological effects at long term that have been reported in different populations [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Prescription patterns in an intensive care unit of COVID‐19 patients in Bangladesh: A cross‐sectional study

“…However, in the European region, geriatric population or concomitant diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer increase the COVID‐19 complications that ultimately leads to intensive care unit (ICU) admission as well as life‐threatening consequences 5–7 . This catastrophic situation caused various clinical complications that required special care, including medical care, psychological care, respiratory support, life support, and renal replacement therapy, leading to admission to the ICU 7–9 . A range of different classes of medications such as antimalarial (hydroxychloroquine), antiparasitic (ivermectin), antibiotic (azithromycin), antiretroviral (darunavir), immunosuppressant (tocilizumab), and interferon‐beta have been considered as therapeutic agents to minimize the mortality rate caused by acute respiratory syndrome, mechanical ventilation and complications of SARS‐Cov‐2 virus 10,11 .…”

“…[5][6][7] This catastrophic situation caused various clinical complications that required special care, including medical care, psychological care, respiratory support, life support, and renal replacement therapy, leading to admission to the ICU. [7][8][9] A range of different classes of medications such as antimalarial (hydroxychloroquine), antiparasitic (ivermectin), antibiotic (azithromycin), antiretroviral (darunavir), immunosuppressant (tocilizumab), and interferon-beta have been considered as therapeutic agents to minimize the mortality rate caused by acute respiratory syndrome, mechanical ventilation and complications of SARS-Cov-2 virus. 10,11 The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom presently recommends a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (sotrovimab) with some antiviral drugs namely nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, remdesivir, and molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 affected people who are at the highest risk of getting critically ill. 12 Among them, remdesivir is US Food and Drug Administration-approved.…”