ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to generate evidence on the role of core elements of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) such as empathy, resilience, gratitude and hope in mitigating the psychological distress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 203) were recruited from the island of Ireland (mean age = 37.7 years, +/- 13.2) and completed an online questionnaire including measures of resilience, hope, gratitude, empathy, depression, stress, anxiety and the subjective distress of COVID-19. A four-step hierarchical regression model was applied. Resilience showed positive significant correlations with gratitude, hope and empathy. Age, gender, presence/absence of a chronic health condition (CHC) and country of residence were not predictors of the subjective distress of COVID-19. Resilience and empathy were a negative and a positive predictor of the subjective distress respectively, while gratitude and hope had no predictive value in this model. Upon adding depression, stress and anxiety, the explained variance in scores of the distress of COVID-19 increased considerably from 16% to 55%. Individuals who experience higher levels of depression and anxiety without necessarily the presence of a CHC and regardless of age, gender, and country of residence, may be more susceptible to experience the subjective distress of COVID-19. These findings can be used to inform the design and delivery of PPIs either as a public health prevention measure or as a treatment programme within a broader context of a public mental health promotion strategy to tackle the psychological impact of this pandemic in adults of the general population.Copyright © 2022 Institute of Health Promotion and Education.
ABSTRACT
Background & Purpose: Pregnant women are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant women, particularly in the third trimester1. Despite ongoing campaigns, the proportion of pregnant women vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 is lower than in the general population2. The medium-term effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy are not well characterized. We report a cohort of pregnant women admitted to hospital with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Method(s): Data from clinical records were retrospectively collected from all pregnant women admitted through the maternity assessment unit at St. Thomas' Hospital, between January 2021 and January 2022, due to COVID-19 requiring oxygen to maintain saturations >94%. Result(s): Fourteen women were identified (age=33.4+/-5.2 years;42.8% Caucasian;28.6% Black), requiring admission at 31+/-4.7 weeks gestation. Only two were double vaccinated (14.2%). Body mass index (BMI) was 27.2+/-6.4 kg/m2. Two women had concomitant co-morbidities (asthma and type 1 diabetes). They were managed in the obstetric high- dependency unit (level 1), barring one that required invasive ventilation for one day. The Delta variant was most commonly implicated (43%). All women requiring oxygen received steroids. Four women received Tocilizumab and three casirivimab/imdevimab;two received both. Four women were delivered by emergency Caesarean section due to maternal or fetal concerns, while the others continued their pregnancies. There was one late intrauterine death at 35 weeks. Women were followed-up for an average of six weeks. At follow-up in the obstetric medicine COVID-19 clinic, all women had complete resolution of COVID-19 on clinical examination, pulse oximetry and chest radiograph. Conclusion(s): In 14 pregnant women requiring admission to hospital for hypoxia secondary to moderate-to-severe COVID-19, concomitant co-morbidities and high BMI were not prevalent. Most were not vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Despite experiencing moderate-to-severe COVID-19, they had complete clinical and radiological resolution at six weeks follow-up.