Symptoms and psychosocial effects following hospitalization for Covid-19: A sequential, mixed-methods study from northern India

• Published in: The National medical journal of India 2022-07, Vol.35 (4), p.210-214, Article 210
• Main Authors: Khera, Sagar, Kaur, Manmeet, Kaur, Rupinder, Sharma, Abhishek, Mohindra, Ritin, Suri, Vikas, Lakshmi, P V M, Soni, Roop Kishor, Bhalla, Ashish, Singh, Shubh Mohan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - etiology; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - therapy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Hospitalization; Humans
• ISSN: 0970-258X; 0970-258X
• DOI: 10.25259/NMJI_800_21

Background It is reported that patients who have recovered from Covid-19 continue to experience various symptoms and adverse outcomes. However, this aspect has not been studied well. We aimed to evaluate these variables and the perceived impact of Covid-19 among patients discharged from a Covid hospital in northern India. Methods We conducted this study among patients discharged from a Covid-19 hospital in northern India in June 2020. As per the official policy at that time, patients detected to have Covid-19 (symptomatically or via contact tracing) were mandatorily admitted. A sequential, mixed-methods design was followed. Patients discharged from the hospital were contacted telephonically, and the cross-sectional prevalence of symptoms, the prevalence of depression and anxiety and the social consequences of admission were assessed. A subgroup of patients was interviewed for qualitative assessment of their experience. Results A total of 274 patients provided consent and were assessed, of which 8 patients underwent detailed interviews. The prevalence of somatic symptoms was 3.4%; 36.2% of the patients had depressive and 12% of the patients had anxiety symptoms. A majority of patients experienced adverse social and economic consequences of hospitalization for Covid-19. These themes were reinforced by a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews. Conclusions Our study population experienced a high prevalence of adverse psychosocial consequences of Covid-19. These included depression and anxiety symptoms, stigma and economic and occupational consequences. These deserve more recognition and study.