The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Admission on Families: Results from a Nationwide Sample in Greece
Despoina Gkentzi,
Konstantinos Mhliordos,
Ageliki Karatza,
Xenophon Sinopidis,
Dimitra Dimopoulou,
Eirini Eleftheriou,
Maria Tsolia,
Artemis Mavridi,
Eugenia Miliara,
Vassiliki Papaevangelou,
Eleni Vergadi,
Emmanouil Galanakis,
Gabriel Dimitriou,
Sotirios Fouzas
Affiliations
Despoina Gkentzi
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
Konstantinos Mhliordos
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
Ageliki Karatza
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
Xenophon Sinopidis
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
Dimitra Dimopoulou
Department of Pediatrics, Second Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Eirini Eleftheriou
Department of Pediatrics, Second Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Maria Tsolia
Department of Pediatrics, Second Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Artemis Mavridi
Department of Pediatrics, Third Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Attikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Eugenia Miliara
Department of Pediatrics, Third Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Attikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Vassiliki Papaevangelou
Department of Pediatrics, Third Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Attikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Eleni Vergadi
Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
Emmanouil Galanakis
Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
Gabriel Dimitriou
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
Sotirios Fouzas
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece
The aim of the present study was to assess the psychological impact of hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and their offspring. We performed a nationwide cross-sectional study in Greece based on an Internet questionnaire survey. A convenience sample of parents whose offspring had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, MIS-C), diagnosed with COVID-19 but not hospitalized, and hospitalized for another reason during the pandemic were enrolled. Parental stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) tools, and childhood mental wellbeing with the Children’s Revised Impact of Event 13 (CRIES-13) scale. Out of 214 received responses, stress levels were significantly higher in parents whose children had been admitted for COVID-19 or MIS-C versus those not admitted or admitted for other reasons (p < 0.001, for PSS/IES-R). Parental and childhood stress levels were correlated. In the multivariable linear regression analysis, children’s hospitalization because of COVID-19 or MIS-C, younger parental age, the existence of comorbidities, and another family member’s hospitalization because of COVID-19 were independent factors for higher stress. In light of the above, stricter hospital admission criteria for COVID-19 could be implemented, and psychological support for eventually admitted families may be beneficial.
