Does hospitalization of a patient in the intensive care unit cause
anxiety and does restriction of visiting cause depression for the
relatives of these patients during COVID-19 pandemic?
Abstract
Objectives: During the pandemic, anxiety, stress, and depression may
occur increasingly in the whole society. To evaluate the possible cause,
incidence and levels of anxiety and depression in the relatives of the
patients in the ICU in accordance with the patients’ SARS-CoV-2 PCR
result. Materials and Method: The study was prospectively conducted on
relatives of patients admitted to tertiary ICU during COVID-19 pandemic.
Sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and their relatives
were recorded. “The Turkish version of the Hospital Anxiety and
Depression Scale” questionnaire was applied twice to the relatives of
120 patients to determine the symptoms of anxiety and depression in
accordance with the PCR results of the patients (PCR positive n=60, PCR
negative n=60). Results: The ratios above cut-off values for anxiety and
depression among relatives of the patients were 45,8% and 67,5% for
the first test and 46,7% and 62,5% for the second test respectively.
The anxiety and depression in the relatives of PCR positive patients was
more frequent than the PCR negative (p< 0,001 for HADS-A and
p=0,034 for HADS-D). The prevalence of anxiety and depression was
significantly higher in female participants (p=0,046 for HADS-A and
p=0,009 for HADS-A). There was no significant correlation between HADS
and age of the patient or education of the participants. The fact that
the patients were hospitalized in the ICU during the pandemic was an
independent risk factor for anxiety (AUC = 0.746) while restriction of
patient visiting in the ICU was found to be an independent risk factor
for depression (AUC= 0.703). Conclusion: While patient with positive PCR
and participant with female gender is responsible for both anxiety and
depression, hospitalization in the ICU due to COVID-19 is an independent
risk factor for anxiety and restriction of patient visiting in the ICU
is an independent risk factor for depression.