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

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.

Screening for depressive disorders in outpatients with mild to moderate psoriasis: A study from North India.

Background: Psoriasis and depressive disorders commonly occur together. Depressive disorders have an impact on the quality of life and the outcome of psoriasis. Aims: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of using a modifi cation of the Hindi translation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a verbal, clinician administered, short screening questionnaire for detecting depressive disorders. Materials and Methods: One hundred and four out-patients with psoriasis were recruited in the study. In the fi rst stage of the study, socio-demographic data, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score, and Dermatological Quality of Life (DLQI) score were recorded. The modifi ed questionnaire was administered by the dermatologist. In the second stage, psychiatric diagnoses were confi rmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: The prevalence of depressive disorders was 39.4%. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed that the questionnaire had a good discriminant ability in detecting depressive disorders (area under curve: 0.81, SE = 0.04, 95% confi dence interval = 0.72–0.89). Limitations: The sample size is small and more studies are needed with the screening questions in different languages to validate the fi ndings of the study. Conclusion: The questionnaire can be a useful screening instrument for detecting depressive disorders in patients with psoriasis.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psychiatric inpatients in a tertiary care centre in north India.

Background & objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with major mental illnesses. It is a major predictor of mortality and morbidity. This research was undertaken to study the prevalence and correlates of MS in psychiatric inpatients in a tertiary care hospital in north India. Methods: Consecutive adult patients with a primary psychiatric disorder admitted to the psychiatric ward during the study period (July-December 2007) were evaluated for prevalence of MS as per the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Results: Among the 90 patients included in the study, the prevalence of MS as per IDF was 37.8 per cent and it was significantly associated with the body mass index (BMI). Interpretation & conclusions: The present findings showed a higher prevalence of MS in psychiatric inpatients than that in the general population. further studies on a larger sample need to be done before advising evaluation for the presence of MS in all psychiatric patients.