Quantitative assessment and intervention of mental status in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective:To quantitively assess the mental status of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) for correct diagnosis of those have serious mental crisis,providing scientific basis for the psychological intervention. Methods:The mental status in 46 SARS patients were analyzed with the Mental Status Scale in Non psychiatric Settings(MSSNS, by Department of Psychology, Second Military Medical University )and compared with that of the common pneumonia patients and the norm of common inpatients. Results:The scores of SARS patients and those of the other pneumonia patients and the norm of common inpatients had no significant difference. The psychological reactions of SARS patients were related significantly with the patient's age, marital status, occupation and the duration of fever. Conclusion:The psychological reactions of SARS patients were accordant with those of the common patients. The results indicated that the patient's personality, such as the emotional stability, was the essential impact factor on the patient's mental status. The level of negative emotional reactions in SARS patients are influenced by whether the patients are young, single, lack of medical knowledge and fever duration. So the effective psychological intervention to the SARS patients should be based on the scientific assessment and influencing factors analysis.