Psychological Status during COVID-۱۹ Pandemic on the Patients with Cancer

Background: Coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) emerged in December ۲۰۱۹ in China and exhibited as a highly contagious viral infection which led to a high level of mortality and morbidity. It is followed by a great deal of complications, such as serious psychological disorders. There are a few studies evaluating the psychological status of COVID-۱۹ on the patients with cancer in Iran.Method: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on ۹۴ patients with cancer who referred to Haft-e-Tir hospital for radiotherapy and chemotherapy from ۲۰ April to ۱۵ may, ۲۰۲۰. The data collection tool was the impact of events scale-revised (IES-R).Results: The prevalence of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder based on past psychiatric history in the patients was ۱۱.۷% and ۲.۱%, respectively. The results revealed that age was significantly related to avoidance dimension score (B = -۰. ۲۰۹, ۹۵% CI: -۰.۰۸۴ to - ۰.۳۳۵). Regarding hyper arousal dimension score, the results were as follows: rural residency (B = ۵.۰۹۱, ۹۵% CI: ۰.۶۱۰ to ۹.۵۷۳), past psychiatric history (PPH) (B = ۸.۳۱۲, ۹۵% CI: ۴.۳۱۴ to ۱۲.۳۱۰), and radiotherapy (B = -۲.۹۷۶, ۹۵% CI: -۵.۸۷۸ to -۰.۰۷۴) had a statistically significant relationship with the hyper arousal dimension score.Conclusion: The patients with cancer had a severe form of COVID-۱۹. Individuals with cancer who had a previous psychiatric history are more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms after trauma.

Keywords:

Psychology , COVID-۱۹ , Pandemics , cancer