ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Two years have passed since the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported. The persistent pandemic might lead to severe psychosomatic problems and fatigue. In addition, the recent rapid rising COVID-19 cases in China have become a trending issue. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in psychosomatic problems at the initial and current stages of the pandemic. METHODS: Three waves of cross-sectional online survey were conducted during the initial COVID outbreak in China. The psychosomatic symptom scale (PSSS), perceived stress scale (PSS), and pandemic fatigue scale (PFS) were used to assess the psychosomatic problems, stress, and fatigue. RESULTS: 4317, 1096, and 2172 participants completed the first, second, and third surveys. The prevalence of psychosomatic disorder was 22 %, 28 %, and 39 %, respectively. The network structure of PSSS symptoms has not significantly changed as the pandemic progresses. However, the global strength of the PSSS networks, indicating the overall connectivity, in the third wave was significantly higher than in the first wave (s = 0.54, P = 0.007). The most central symptoms in the first and third wave networks were depressed mood and tiredness. The PFS score was higher in the people concerned with indirect impact than those concerned with health (P < 0.001). PFS has positive relationships with PSSS and PSS score (R = 0.41, P < 0.001 and R = 0.35, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The persistence of the pandemic caused critical psychosomatic issues, stress, and indirect burden over time, leading to inevitable fatigue. People endured needing immediate attention to prevent or reduce psychosomatic disorders.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Psychophysiologic Disorders/diagnosis , Psychophysiologic Disorders/epidemiology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Cross-Sectional Studies , Disease Outbreaks , Fatigue/epidemiology , Fatigue/etiology , China/epidemiology , Anxiety/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China has classified coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) as category B infectious disease and taken preventive and control measures of category A infectious diseases. COVID-19 is highly contagious and all age groups are vulnerable. Therefore, medical institutions should strengthen preventive and control measures during COVID-19 epidemic to refrain from nosocomial infection. Other factors, such as mental status disturbances caused by psychological stress during COVID-19 outbreak, high population density of closed ward and poor behavioral control of psychiatric patients, may hinder the preventive and control measures of COVID-19. We propose the preventive and control strategy of psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 epidemic to provide reference for various psychiatric institutions.