The Impact of Illness Perception on Delay in Seeking Medical Help in Patients with Acute Chest Pain: A Cross-sectional Study in the United Arab Emirates

Background: The concern of contracting COVID-19 has prevented numerous individuals with ambiguous myocardial infarction symptoms from seeking medical attention, leading to delayed presentation and treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This delay could increase the risk of long-term consequences. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of illness perception on delay in seeking medical help in patients with acute chest pain in UAE during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Results: A total of 222 in-patients participated in the study, with an average age of 54.3 years (SD=14, Range= 20-86). The average score of illness perception was 5.66 (SD=0.92), which indicates that CVD was perceived as moderately threatening to physical and emotional status. Univariate analysis showed that illness coherence having previous cardiac catheterization, diabetes and asthma were factors associated with delay in seeking medical services. The linear regression showed that college education was a strong predictor of delay, while a history of asthma and undergoing cardiac catheterization were independent predictors of shorter delay. Conclusion: Illness coherence perception and time of seeking medical help are correlated. In addition, illness perception of personal control is low, which indicates the need for educational intervention. Other clinical factors also impact patients' decisions, such as previous cardiac intervention and comorbidity, highlighting the target group for further attention from the healthcare team. © 2023 Mosleh et al.

Continuous glucose monitoring empowers adolescents to take responsibility of diabetes management.

BACKGROUND: Managing diabetes is especially challenging for adolescents, and they often struggle to believe they can manage the condition. Illness perception has been widely associated with better diabetes management outcomes, but the influence of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on adolescents has been largely neglected. AIM: The study aimed to explore the illness perception of a group of adolescents living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using CGM. SETTING: The study was conducted at a medical centre that provides diabetes care services to youth living with T1D in Parktown, South Africa. METHODS: A qualitative research approach using semi-structured online interviews was used to gather data that was thematically analysed. RESULTS: Themes emerging from the data confirmed that CGM creates a sense of control over diabetes management as blood glucose measures were more visible. A sense of normalcy was established as CGM influences a new routine and a way of life, integrating diabetes into a young person's identity. Despite the users' awareness of being different due to diabetes management, CGM assisted in creating a sense of belonging, contributing to developing a better quality of life. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study support the use of CGM as a means of empowering adolescents struggling with diabetes management to achieve better treatment outcomes. The important role of illness perception in facilitating this change was also evident.Contribution: By listening to the adolescent's voice, CGM was identified as a possible intervention to empower adolescents to improve diabetes management.

Perception of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its relationship with coping strategies and perceived social support in iranian people: a descriptive correlational study.

BACKGROUND: Perception of the threatening disease leads to coping behaviors that can affect the treatment process. Social support can be one of the factors influencing the perception of the disease and coping strategies. Our study aimed to determine the perception of the disease, its relationship with coping strategies and social support in COVID-19 patients in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1014 patients who were hospitalized during October 2020 to May 2021 through multi-stage sampling method. The data-gathering instruments consisted a demographic information checklist, and standard questionnaires including disease perception, social support, and coping strategies. Correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression model, and simple linear regression model were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 40.87 ± 12.42 and the majority of them were female (67.2%(, married (60.1%), and had relatives who had COVID-19 (82.6%). There was a significant inverse relationship between variables (identity, outcomes, emotional expressions etc.) and social support (> 0.01). Also there was a significant direct relationship between variables (self-control, therapeutic susceptibility etc.) and the coping behavior (p < 0.05). There was an inverse relationship between the variables (outcomes, self-blaming, sex, etc.) (P = 0.0001) and a direct one between the variables (education, disease phase, etc.) and perceived social support (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: These results show the importance of promoting positive coping strategies and social support in the face of large-scale health crises. The knowledge of nurses about the results of this study, who are responsible for the care and education of the patient, can be effective in the length of hospitalization and reducing costs.

A psychological needs analysis of individuals with LongCovid

Introduction: Long-Covid is the continuation of broad and debilitating symptoms 4 weeks post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 onset. Our Long-Covid clinic provides holistic care to this population. It includes a variety of professionals but no in-clinic psychological intervention. The clinic requested a psychological needs analysis to inform the development of such intervention. Aim(s): To conduct a psychological needs analysis for the Long-Covid clinic population. Method(s): In addition to routine outcomes: anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD;GAD-7, PHQ-9, PCL-5), individuals completed the brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (b-IPQ). We conducted correlational and regression analyses to identify an interventional target. Result(s): We collected data in August-October 2021 (n=47, mean age=51.3, 32% male). GAD-7 and PCL-5 showed mild anxiety and PTSD (n=37, mean=7.8(6.8);n=37, mean=11.0(19.3)), PHQ-9 showed moderate depression (n=37, mean=11.0(6.9). Individuals reported low treatment control and low illness coherence (Table 1). PHQ-9 significantly correlated with GAD-7, PCL-5, timeline, and emotional representations. 84.5% of the variance of PHQ-9, (F5, 15)=22.8, p<0.001 was explained by our regression model. Three variables were statistically significant, (GAD-7, beta=0.48;PCL-5, beta=0.36;timeline, beta=0.36). Conclusion(s): The relationship between GAD-7, PCL-5, timeline, and PHQ-9 indicate an intervention for depression is warranted. We hypothesise it should also improve individuals' anxiety, PTSD, and illness perceptions.

Persistent somatic symptoms are key to individual illness perception at one year after COVID-19 in a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Subjective illness perception (IP) can differ from physician's clinical assessment results. Herein, we explored patient's IP during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery. METHODS: Participants of the prospective observation CovILD study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04416100) with persistent somatic symptoms or cardiopulmonary findings one year after COVID-19 were analyzed (n = 74). Explanatory variables included demographic and comorbidity, COVID-19 course and one-year follow-up data of persistent somatic symptoms, physical performance, lung function testing, chest computed tomography and trans-thoracic echocardiography. Factors affecting IP (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire) one year after COVID-19 were identified by regularized modeling and unsupervised clustering. RESULTS: In modeling, 33% of overall IP variance (R2) was attributed to fatigue intensity, reduced physical performance and persistent somatic symptom count. Overall IP was largely independent of lung and heart findings revealed by imaging and function testing. In clustering, persistent somatic symptom count (Kruskal-Wallis test: η2 = 0.31, p < .001), fatigue (η2 = 0.34, p < .001), diminished physical performance (χ2 test, Cramer V effect size statistic: V = 0.51, p < .001), dyspnea (V = 0.37, p = .006), hair loss (V = 0.57, p < .001) and sleep problems (V = 0.36, p = .008) were strongly associated with the concern, emotional representation, complaints, disease timeline and consequences IP dimensions. CONCLUSION: Persistent somatic symptoms rather than abnormalities in cardiopulmonary testing influence IP one year after COVID-19. Modifying IP represents a promising innovative approach to treatment of post-COVID-19 condition. Besides COVID-19 severity, individual IP should guide rehabilitation and psychological therapy decisions.

Illness Perception, Personality Traits and Obsessions in Healthcare Employees After Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between illness perception, avoidance behavior, perception of obsession and personality traits in healthcare workers after the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods: An online survey was conducted with 652 healthcare professionals in May 2020 to assess their perceptions of obsession and related factors. Sociodemographic data form, COVID-19 Disease Perception Scale, COVID-19 Avoidance Attitudes Scale, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Questionnaire and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were used in the study.Results: Significant predictors of COVID-19-related contagiousness perception were young age (beta=-0.235, p<0.001), low psychoticism (beta=-0.091, p=0.018), and high cleansing obsessions (beta=0.127, p=0.004). It has been found that individuals with high extroverted personality traits (beta=0.123, p=0.002) and more intense ruminative thoughts (beta=0.117, p=0.003) have more cognitive avoidance from COVID-19, and those in the young age group (beta=-0.184, p<0.001) with high education level (beta=0.128, p=0.001) and intensive cleaning obsessions (beta=0.090, p=0.030) have a behavioral avoidance attitude from COVID-19.Conclusion: In the course of the COVID 19 pandemic, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms may be a response to protecting yourself and others from the virus. Our data support the suggestion that public health advice during pandemics should include mental health campaigns aimed at reducing the psychological effects of pandemics.

Illness perceptions in long-COVID: A cross-sectional analysis in adults

Symptoms may persist after an acute COVID-19 infection, a phenomenon termed long-COVID. Increasing attention is now directed toward these long-term effects, as many seem to be affected. So far, long-COVID was primarily discussed from a medical perspective, leaving psychological factors on health-related outcomes understudied. Thus, the present study contributes to the current literature by examining Leventhal's common-sense model of self-regulation, investigating patients' cognitive and emotional illness perceptions and their association with different health-related outcomes in the context of long-COVID. We examined 246 long-COVID patients (89.0% female, M (age) = 45.29 +/- 12.12 years), assessing illness perceptions, fatigue, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life in a cross-sectional survey study. Linear regression analyses were applied to model the unique effects of the illness perception dimension on health-related outcomes. More than half of the sample had elevated levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue. Illness perception dimensions explained between 28% and 37% of the variance across the analyzed health-related outcomes. More symptoms, higher perceived consequences, and higher emotional representation were related to worse health-related outcomes. In general, long-COVID was poorly understood (i.e., low coherence) and perceived as difficult to control (i.e., personal & treatment control). Health professionals involved in counseling should pay close attention to both cognitive and emotional illness perceptions to address possible ways of coping with long-COVID.

Relashionship between Mental health, perception of illness and perceived social support in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Aims: Patients after diagnosis of COVID-19 may have psychological problems. Illness perceptions and social support can play an important role in individuals’ health and the effects of stress. This study aimed to determine the relationship between mental health, perception of illness and perceived social support in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2020. 143 patients with coronavirus who met the inclusion criteria participated in this study. Inclusion criteria are age over 18 years, full consciousness, lack of physical and mental disabilities, diagnosis of coronavirus with the approval of an infectious disease specialist, no history of mental disorders, the ability to communicate with the researcher. Data collection tools were the 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress scale, Zimet’s multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and the brief illness perception questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS 26. Results: The average score of depression, anxiety, and stress for all participants with coronavirus was 8.12±7.12, 11.74±6.02, and 13.92±6.80, respectively. 30.1% of the participants had high illness perception and 59.4% had high social support level. The multiple linear regression model showed illness perception and social support were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Drug history was associated with depression and anxiety. Oxygen saturation was associated with anxiety and stress (P<0.05). Conclusion: In general depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with Covid 19 are associated with the perception of illness and social support, which is more strongly associated with social support. © 2022, Tarbiat Modares University. All rights reserved.

Association Between Perceived Access to Healthcare and the Perception of Illness Among Peruvian Adults with Chronic Diseases During COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the provision of care for patients with chronic diseases. Due to social restrictions and reductions in contact with health services, the negative perception of chronic disease is expected to have increased. The aim of this study was to determine the association between perceived access to healthcare and the perception of illness among Peruvian population with chronic disease. It was a cross-sectional analytical study, with a sample of 987 inhabitants to whom the questionnaires "Coverage of health services" and "The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire" (BIPQ) were applied. Having health insurance (PRa = 0.683; 95% CI = 0.613-0.761) acts as a protective factor for a positive illness perception of chronic disease, however, a waiting time greater than 3 months to obtain a medical appointment (PRa = 1.417; 95% CI = 1.319-1.522) and poor access to health services (PRa = 1.435; 95% CI = 1.226-1.681) resulted in the probability of a negative illness perception of chronic disease. Thus, there is an association between perceived poor access to healthcare and the negative illness perception of chronic disease in Peruvian population during pandemic COVID-19.

The influence of illness perception, anxiety and depression disorders on students mental health during COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan: A web-based cross-sectional survey

Purpose: Since the emergence of a coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) in December 2019, the whole world is in a state of chaos. Isolation strategy with quarantine is a useful model in controlling transmission and rapid spread. As a result, people remained at home and disrupted their outside daily activities. It led to the closure of educational institutes, which is a source of many students to cope with numerous personal and familial issues. This study aims to focus on exploring the relationships and potential mediational pathways between mental health problems, illness perception, anxiety and depression disorders. Design/methodology/approach: The study incorporated snowball sampling techniques through a cross-sectional, Web-based survey and recruited 500 students from different universities of twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad from March 23 to April 15, 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak lockdown. The study used four instruments, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for assessing depression, anxiety, illness perception and mental health disorders. Findings: The findings indicated normal (43.2%), mild (20.5%), moderate (13.6%) and severe (22.7%) levels of anxiety prevalence in students. Results specified a normal (65.9%), mild (9.10%), moderate (9.12%) and severe (15.90%) depression prevalence and findings stipulated that anxiety disorder prevalence was higher than depression disorder. The correlational results specified a negative and significant relationship between mental health, illness perception, anxiety and depression symptoms. The multiple regression analysis stated that anxiety and depression disorders mediated the relationship between mental health and present illness perception. The perception of illness exhibited a relation to depression and anxiety disorders. Originality/value: The study proposed a model to address mental health problems during the lockdown. The (2019-nCoV) illness perception developed mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, which has declined individuals' mental health. There is an urgent need for ongoing clinical examination and management to address psychological disorders and findings suggest assessing mental health to combatting the pandemic worldwide. Findings recommend developing strategies to promote mental health-care facilities during COVID-19 wide-ranging disasters. These results highlight the impending importance of devising strategies to treat mental health problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Perceived risk, illness perception and dispositional optimism related to COVID-19 among oncologic outpatients undergoing in-hospital treatments and healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore risk estimations (perceived risk, dispositional optimism) related to COVID-19 perception and distress in oncologic outpatients undergoing active hospital treatments compared to the general population. DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were collected during the Italian lockdown on 150 oncologic outpatients and a sample of 150 healthy subjects. They completed a battery of questionnaires including the Perceived Risk scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test- Revised and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and a moderated mediation model were performed to test the study hypotheses. RESULTS: The moderated mediation model attested significant conditional indirect associations of both clinical status and dispositional optimism with distress through the mediation of COVID-19 perceived risk. Healthy individuals and less optimistic people were more likely than others to report higher psychological distress only when they showed neutral or negative COVID-19-related illness perception. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients manifest a lower risk perception and a more positive illness representation related to COVID-19 compared to control subjects; the distress level is not associated with the clinical status, but it is moderated by illness perception. Adequate protective behaviors in cancer patients may avoid a dangerous underestimation of objective risks.

Is my risk lower than yours? The role of compared risk, illness perceptions, and self-efficacy as determinants of perceived risk for COVID-19

Risk perception is a psychological construct influenced by the available information about specific illnesses or conditions and several psychosocial variables. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand people´s perceptions about the illness and their subsequent behaviour. In the present study we aimed to assess risk and illness perceptions about COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic in a community sample and to assess whether illness perception dimensions, dispositional optimism, compared risk and perceived self-efficacy are predictors of individual risk perception for COVID-19. The participants were 549 Portuguese adults not infected by COVID-19 who completed an online survey. Our findings showed that individual and compared risk perceptions about COVID-19 were high as well as concern, negative emotional representation, and perceived consequences. The predictive model showed that 54% of the variance of the perceived individual risk was explained by compared risk, followed by concern, emotional representation, and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the importance of comparative risk (unrealistic comparative optimism) in the formation of individual risk perception. Social comparison can be an important factor for risk perception and the adoption of protective behaviours for COVID-19. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Health, Risk & Society is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Mental Health in Multiple Sclerosis During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Delicate Balance between Fear of Contagion and Resilience.

The current study aimed at exploring the relationship between objective disability, illness perceptions, resilience, fear of COVID-19, and psychological distress (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. A group of 122 pwMS recruited in an Italian university hospital took part in this cross-sectional monocentric study. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the strength of the hypothesized associations. Results indicated that, differently from cognitive impairment, motor disability was positively associated with anxiety. However, accounting for subjective illness perception, such association was no longer significant. Moreover, accounting for both protective and risk factors in the models, even illness perception was no longer significant, highlighting the central role of resilience and fear of COVID-19 in explaining the negative emotional outcomes. Implications for clinical interventions and psychoeducational trainings are discussed.

Changes in health perception of COVID-19 among patients with aortic diseases: A longitudinal study between the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The rapidly spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide has become the most challenging global health pandemic since the 1918 flu. In Germany, more than 2.5 million cases are confirmed so far, with more than 70,000 deaths. An increased fatality rate was seen among patients with preexisting comorbid conditions, especially with cardiovascular diseases, representing this group at particular risk. Purpose: Risk perceptions of public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect people's mental health, reveal gaps in support, and influences the adherence to regulatory requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in health perception among patients with aortic diseases during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Methods: Patients (n=262) diagnosed with aortic disease participated in telephone interviews during the first (w1, April 6-April 29, 2020) and second wave (w2, January 11-January 29, 2021) of the pandemic in Germany. The perception of COVID-19 as a threat was examined using relevant items of the Brief Illness Perception (BIP) questionnaire to address four dimensions (consequences, control, personal control, and understanding). Relevant data focusing on different aortic diseases and cardiovascular risk factors were taken from patient records. Results: Aortic diseases included mainly aortic aneurysm of the ascending (n=164, 62.6%) and the descending aorta (n=37, 14.1%). Patients with acute or chronic aortic dissection made up a third (n=41, 15.6%, and n=48, 18.3%, respectively). At baseline (w1), none of the participants had neither been quarantined nor were taken ill with COVID-19. At the second survey (w2), 24 participants (n=252, 9.5%) had already been quarantined and five (n=252, 2%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. The BIP score increased 9.18 (SD=7.132) to 14.58 (SD = 6.956) between w1 and w2 (p<.001). At the level of dimensions, that meant a significant difference between w1 and w2 regarding consequences (M=-2.821, SD=3.049, 95% CI [-3.200, -2.443], t(251)=-14.691, p<.001, d=0.92), control (M=0.908, SD=2.492, 95% CI [0.589, 1.218], t(249)=5.760, p<.001, d=0.36), and concern (M=-1.669, SD=3.349, 95% CI [-2.086, -1.253], t(250)=-7.898, p<0.001, d=0.50). Only understanding showed no significant difference (M=-0.032, SD=1.520, 95% CI [-0.220, 0.157], t(251)=-0.332, p=0.740). Conclusion: Although patients with aortic diseases are highly at risk of having worse outcomes from COVID-19, their overall perception of COVID- 19 as a threat was low in the beginning, but rising during the second wave. The main reasons were the increased effects on personal life and elevated concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, but concerns did not include the educational aspect of COVID-19. Tailored risk communication strengthens the mental health of people in a public health crisis and ensures the success of governmental guidelines and policies.

Cultural Responses to Covid-19 Pandemic: Religions, Illness Perception, and Perceived Stress.

Many psychological researchers have proven the deteriorating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on public mental health. In Malaysia, various Covid-19 clusters were associated with religious gatherings. From a cultural psychology perspective, how ethno-religious groups respond to this crisis originating from their unique rationality and ecological systems. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the illness perceptions of major religious groups (Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist) in Malaysia toward the Covid-19 pandemic, their stress levels, and the relationship between illness perception, stress, and forms of religious expression during the lockdown period. Through an online survey method, 608 Malaysian religious believers were included in this mixed-method empirical study, which adapted standardized instruments [Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)]. Statistical analysis showed that all three groups reported moderate levels of stress in average without any significant difference after controlling for age. Both internal and external forms of religious expression had a significant negative relationship with stress levels. Personal control, comprehension, and emotions domains of illness perception accounted for a significant variance in the stress level. Furthermore, religious expression significantly moderated the relationship between some illness perception domains and stress. Qualitative coding revealed that most participants perceived human behavior and attitudes, sociopolitical, and sociological factors as causal factors to the current pandemic. These findings confirmed the relationship between religious expression, illness belief, and stress regulation during the pandemic lockdown. Incidental findings of age as a potential protective factor for Malaysian believers warrants further study. In the conclusion, implications for public health policymakers and religious communities on pandemic prevention and well-being promotion were discussed.

People who contracted COVID-19: the mediating role of shame and guilt in the link between threatening illness perception and mental health measures.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of a range of people, including healthcare workers, the general population, and COVID-19 patients. This study examined the psychological distress, negative affect, and positive affect of people who contracted COVID-19 in Israel, and their relation to threatening illness perception, guilt, and shame.Design: Cross-sectional design.Methods: Three hundred and fifty-one participants who had contracted COVID-19 completed self-report questionnaires assessing the study variables.Results: The results revealed a direct positive link between threatening COVID-19 illness perception and psychological distress and negative affect, and a negative link with positive affect. In addition, shame and guilt were significant mediators; namely, threatening COVID-19 illness perception was linked with negative affect via guilt, and with psychological distress, negative affect, and positive affect via shame.Conclusions: Illness perception, shame, and guilt may have a significant negative effect on the mental health of people who contracted COVID-19, and should be acknowledged and addressed by professionals.

Effects of Disease-Related Knowledge on Illness Perception and Psychological Status of Patients With COVID-19 in Hunan, China.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the current status of disease-related knowledge and to analyze the relationship among the general condition, illness perception, and psychological status of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 patients using convenience sampling. The general questionnaire, disease-related knowledge questionnaire of COVID-19, Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to measure the current status of participants. RESULTS: The overall average score of the disease-related knowledge of patients with COVID-19 was (79.19 ± 14.25), the self-care situation was positively correlated with knowledge of prevention and control (r = 0.265; P = 0.004) and total score of disease-related knowledge (r = 0.206; P = 0.025); the degree of anxiety was negatively correlated with the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment (r = -0.182; P = 0.049). The score of disease-related knowledge was negatively correlated with negative cognition (volatility, consequences, emotional statements) and negative emotions (tension, fatigue, depression) (P < 0.05); positively correlated with positive cognition (disease coherence) and positive emotion (self-esteem) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was recommended that we should pay more attention to the elderly and low-income groups, and increase the knowledge about diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and self-care in the future health education for patients.