Is the act of mandatory and prolonged in-hospital quarantine a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health among individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection?

Abstract

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects mental health. Our study aimed to investigate whether the act of mandatory and prolonged in-hospital quarantine is a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health among individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Materials and methods. A mixed survey-based cross-sectional study included 300 COVID-19 patients who filled Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21), a 36-item health survey of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36), Insomnia Severity Scale (ISS), Impact of Event Scale (IES) with two subscales -Intrusion (IES-I) and Avoidance (IES-AS), and a questionnaire designed for research purposes. Results. Lower scores on IES-AS, higher scores on IES-I, and in-hospital quarantine are good predictors of high results on the Stress subscale. In-hospital quarantine, lower IES-AS scores, higher IES-I scores, and male gender are significant predictors of higher scores on the Depression subscale. Also, higher scores on IES-I as well as in-hospital quarantine are significant predictors of higher scores on the Anxiety subscale. The presence of insomnia was more pronounced in in-hospital quarantined individuals, while the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were nearly twice as pronounced. Conclusion. Mandatory in-hospital quarantine of individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection is a contributing risk factor for impaired mental health.