Psychological problems among patients with chronic medical disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among people in south Iran. Methods: We surveyed a sample of people during September, 2020: a group of the general population without a history of any chronic medical problems, patients with epilepsy, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and patients with cardiac problems. The survey included four general questions and two COVID-19 specific questions [contracting COVID-19, relatives with COVID-19]. Furthermore, the survey included the DASS (Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale)-21 questionnaire. Results: 487 people were surveyed (154 patients with epilepsy, 127 patients with DM, 98 patients with cardiac problems, and 108 healthy individuals). Among people without a history of chronic medical illnesses, 14% had psychological problems. The highest rates of depression and anxiety were observed among patients with DM (52% and 57%, respectively) and the highest rate of increased stress was observed among patients with cardiac problems (40%). Existence underlying medical problems was significantly associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: While many patients with underlying chronic medical conditions, including epilepsy, suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot establish a cause and effect relationship between COVID-19 pandemic and increased psychological problems among these patients.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Epilepsy
• Seizure
• Stress