Objective: Little is known about the psychiatric complications or risk factors for depression in suspected or confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) patients quarantined in hospital.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all the patients admitted to the acute MERS inpatient unit at the NMC during the 2015 outbreak.
Results: 30 (75%) were confirmed to be MERS-CoV positive among 40 admitted cases. Among the 24 MERS survivors, 17 (70.8%) exhibited psychiatric symptoms and 10 (41.7%) received a psychiatric diagnosis and medication during their hospital stay. Suspected MERS patients did not exhibit psychiatric symptoms or receive a psychiatric diagnosis. 27 suspected or confirmed MERS patients (age 41.15±18.64, male 37.0%) completed psychological assessments. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-Short form and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores were significantly positively correlated with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the acute treatment of MERS-CoV infections in quarantine had a significant impact on the patients' mental health. Furthermore, assessment of the risk factors for depression may identify vulnerable patients who require psychiatric care and attention during hospital quarantine.
Keywords: Depression; Emerging infectious diseases; Middle east respiratory syndrome; Psychiatric symptoms; Quarantined hospitalization.