Post debridement – Mental health and body image satisfaction among mucormycosis patients: Concern beyond surgical debridement

Abstract

A sudden surge in the cases of mucormycosis forced India’s coronavirus disease 2019 task force to issue evidence-based advisory on the disease. Severity was seen as comparatively high among diabetic and immuno-compromised individuals. Surgical procedures leading to scars of incision and disfigurement of the face might trigger dissatisfaction with body image and poor mental health. The study was conducted to assess mental health and level of satisfaction with body image among patients diagnosed with mucormycosis during the post-operative period. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients diagnosed with mucormycosis who underwent surgical debridement in a tertiary care hospital among 56 patients selected by the total enumeration sampling technique. Data were collected using DASS-21 and a modified version of the body image scale. Among 56 patients, most participants (n = 43) were highly satisfied with their body image. In terms of mental health, patients reported mild levels of depression (12.5%), anxiety (7.1%), and stress (1.8%) after surgery. Body image scores were positively correlated with stress scores (r = 0.323) at P < 0.05. Among the sub-scales of mental health, scores of anxiety and stress were found to be correlated (r = 0.457) at P < 0.01. A statistical association was found between occupational status and level of depression (χ2 = 13.501, P = 0.007), body image and number of post-operative days (χ2 = 13.654, P = 0.033), and body mass index and level of depression (χ2 = 12.396, P = 0.005). Early identification of predictors of mental health disorders due to dissatisfaction with body image among post-debridement mucormycosis patients could help in planning psycho-social interventions.

Keywords

• anxiety
• body image
• depression
• mental health
• mucormycosis
• stress