ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, obsession, hostility, and attachment styles, which may be associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Method(s): A total of 504 adult participants were included in the study. The sociodemographic data form, including questions on information about participants' COVID-19 infection history and concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, was filled out by the participants. The participants were evaluated with the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hostility, and paranoid ideation subscales of the Symptom Checklist - Revised 90 scale and the Adults Attachment Style Scale (AASS). The participants were divided into three groups: "vaccinated group (VG)," "nonvaccinated but intend to get vaccinated group (IGV)," and "nonvaccinated group and not intend to get vaccinated group (NIGV)." Results: The mean score of the AASS secure subscale was higher (p=0.009), while the SCL-90 anxiety subscale was lower (p=0.003) in the NIGV group. The mean score of the SCL-90 OCD subscale in the NIGV group was lower than that in the IGV group (p=0.040). Regression analysis showed that concerns about the safety of vaccines (OR: 140, p<0.001) and having secure attachment style (OR: 1.787, p=0.019) increase the intention to not be vaccinated. However, it was found that high anxiety scores decreased the intention not to be vaccinated (OR: 0.966, p=0.035). Conclusion(s): The findings of the current study indicate that secure attachment style and clinical psychiatric entities such as anxiety and obsession were effective on vaccine hesitancy. However, this interaction needs to be interpreted carefully in the context of the perceived level of COVID-19 threat, more detailed information about the safety and necessity of vaccines, the relationship of individuals with their social environment, and the predominance of vaccine hesitancy in their social environment.Copyright © 2023 Yerkure Tanitim ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri A.S.. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Behcet's disease (BD) is an episodic and chronic multisystemic disease. Many comorbid psychiatric disorders are frequently encountered in BD. In addition, it is reported that individuals with chronic diseases during the epidemic period are at risk for COVID-19 infection. Therefore, these situations may cause anxiety levels to increase and coping strategies to decrease overall psychological conditions in patients with BD. However, individuals with both psychiatric complaints and comorbid inflammatory and chronic diseases such as BD are more prone to this stressful situation than healthy individuals. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether patients with Behcet's Disease (BD) are psychologically more sensitive than healthy individuals and whether disease severity increase with the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six patients with BD and 156 healthy volunteers were included in the study. All participants received Perceived COVID-19 Threat Form (PCTF), Suicide-Ideation Scale (SIS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), The Ability to Cope with Trauma (PACT), well-being index (PGWB) scales. Results: When the responses of the patient with BD and control groups to the psychiatric evaluation scales were examined;the mean scores of PCTF (p <0.001), SIS (p<0.001), HADS-depression (p<0.001) and HADS-anxiety (p<0.001) in patients with BD were significantly higher than the control group. Mean scores of PGWB (p<0.001) and PACT (p= 0.042) in the patient group were found to be lower. In the relationship analysis, BSAS scores were associated with PCTF scores (r=0.20, p=0.013), and PGWB scores were associated with PACT scores (r=0.53, p=0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic affects the mental health of both male and female patients with BD significantly. In patients with BD, while disease severity was associated with the perceived COVID threat, psychological well-being was associated with existing psychiatric complaints and patients' ability to cope with trauma. The findings of our study support that patients with BD may need more psychological support than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the increase in psychosomatic complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the factors associated with psychosomatic complaints. Methods: Five-hundred and thirty-three participants were included in the study. The participants completed the following self-reported scales: Personal Information Form, Perceived COVID-19 Threat Form, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15). The data were gathered online. The participants filled PHQ-15 scale twice. In the one interrogation, they were asked to fill the scale according to the current time, and in the other interrogation, they were asked to retrospectively report their status before the COVID-19 outbreak started. Results: The psychosomatic symptom levels of the participants increased (M = 9.08, SD = 5.98) after the COVID-19 outbreak compared to before. The first and second PHQ scores were both positively related to perceived COVID-19 threat, intolerance of uncertainty and biological rhythms. However, the correlation coefficients of the second PHQ scores (after the outbreak) were higher than the first. Perceived COVID-19 threat predicted intolerance of uncertainty, but did not predict biological rhythms. The relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and the present PHQ score was partially mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. Also, the relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and present PHQ score were partially mediated by both intolerance of uncertainty and biological rhythms. Conclusion: Psychosomatic complaints were increased during the COVID-19 outbreak period, and the changes in perceived threat and biological rhythm, especially intolerance of uncertainty, were effective in this increase. Results of our study revealed the importance of including the patient's ability to tolerate uncertainty in therapeutic approaches during COVID-19 and similar pandemics. In addition, the importance of the attempt to protect the circadian rhythm in the quarantine process has been demonstrated once again in order to reduce mental influences of the COVID-19 outbreak.