Stress Experience of COVID-19 Patients as Reported by Psychological Supporters in South Korea: A Qualitative Study.

Background: COVID-19 patients experience various stressors during the quarantine period and after release from quarantine. However, stressors experienced during each period remain unclear. Methods: A total of 15 mental health experts from the integrated psychological support group for COVID-19participated in this study. Psychological support was provided for the total 932 confirmed COVID-19 patients and their families. Qualitative data were collected using Focus Group Interview (FGI). The participants were divided into two groups and semi-structured questions were used to allow participants to speak their minds. Results: During the quarantine period, difficulties of being diagnosed with COVID-19, concerns about recovery from COVID-19, stress related to quarantine, issues related to the treatment environment, and limited information about COVID-19 and communication were frequently reported. After release from quarantine, the reported main stressors include reinfection or reactivation, concerns about complications, and financial difficulties. Confusion as vectors and victims, stigma and discrimination, and conflicts within a family were observed during both periods. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients suffered various stressors during the quarantine period and after release from quarantine. Moreover, returning to their daily life required timely psychosocial support, intervention, and treatment for COVID-19 infection.

Psychological Responses Among Korean Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Survivors and Bereaved Families.

OBJECTIVE: In 2015, the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea affected 186 patients and led to 38 bereaved families. This study aimed at investigating the nature and related factors of the psychological responses of MERS victims during the acute phase of disaster. METHODS: The MERS Psychological Support Team under the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare provided counseling services to MERS survivors and bereaved families for 4 weeks, based on crisis intervention. In this study, we reviewed the counseling records of 109 survivors and 80 bereaved family members, and analyzed their epidemiological and MERS-related information along with psychological responses. RESULTS: Somatic symptoms and anxiety related to social stigmatization or disease transmission were common in MERS survivors, whereas grief reactions such as sadness, and anger were frequently observed in bereaved families. Bereaved MERS survivors showed more avoidance/isolation than non-bereaved MERS survivors. Females, those with an underlying physical or psychiatric health condition, and those having experienced longer duration of hospitalization and non-healthcare workers were more at risk of suffering from psychological problems. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors and bereaved families of epidemics can experience various psychological distresses depending on individual characteristics and the inherent features of the epidemic. Therefore, mental health in epidemics should be approached and considered more seriously.

Psychological Responses among Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster Victims and Their Families.

To substantiate psychological symptoms following humidifier disinfectant (HD) disasters, counseling records of 26 victims and 92 family members of victims (45 were bereaved) were analyzed retrospectively. Among the victims, 34.6% had Clinical Global Impression-Severity scores of over 4, which meant they were moderately ill. While anxiety/fear and depression with respiratory symptoms were frequently observed in victims and family members, chronic psychological distress such as alcohol/smoking abuse and insomnia was relatively high in bereaved family members. In conclusion, it is important to provide mental health support for victims and their families, focusing on the characteristic symptoms of each group as well as monetary compensation.

Duty-Related Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Professional Firefighters.

Firefighters commonly encounter traumatic events during duty hours. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of duty-related trauma as risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in professional firefighters. A sample of 212 firefighters participated in the study and completed self-reported questionnaires. Potentially traumatic events (PTE) were assessed using a list of 17 traumatic event types. The posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (Lim et al., 2009; Weiss, 2007). A higher score for the composite index, which reflects both multiple PTE and peritraumatic suffering, increased the odds for significant PTSS after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, numbers of years worked, childhood trauma, and depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.26, p = .001, Cohen's d = 0.20). Furthermore, indirect (AOR = 1.93, p = .009, Cohen's d = .16) and colleague-related PTE (AOR = 1.97, p = .037, Cohen's d = .16) showed significant associations with PTSS. It is noteworthy that the combination of multiple PTE and peritraumatic suffering was more predictive of PTSS than either factor alone. Our findings also suggest that daily work exposure to indirect PTE may contribute to the occurrence of PTSS among professional firefighters.