INVESTIGATION OF COVID-19 FEAR AND LIFE QUALITY AMONG BIPOLAR DISORDER PATIENTS FOLLOWED BY A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Authors : Kübra Sezer Katar, Şeyma Işık, Gamze Zengin İspir, Ayşe Gökçen Gündoğmuş

Pages : 378-392

Doi:10.33715/inonusaglik.1567475

View : 61 | Download : 51

Publication Date : 2025-06-25

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study aims to determine and investigate COVID-19 fear level, quality of life, and follow-up-related data during the pandemic in patients with bipolar disorder in remission who were followed up at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC). The study included 42 individuals who admitted to the CMHC unit between June and July 2022. Participants were assessed by using a sociodemographic data form, the COVID-19 Fear Scale, the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). The data were analyzed using independent groups T-test and Pearson correlation test. During the pandemic, no change was determined in the frequency of psychiatric hospitalizations in 95.2% (n=40), and manic and/or depressive episodes in 69% (n=29) of the patients. While 92.9% (n=39) of the patients reported no difficulty attending psychiatric follow-ups, 64.3% (n=27) stated that they did not experience COVID-19-related challenges accessing non-psychiatric services. The average COVID-19 fear score was 15.21±7.57, WHODAS 2.0 was 10.29±7.27, and CGI was 2.57±0.77. No significant relationships were found between the variables (p>0.05). In conclusion, the stability in episode frequency and hospital follow-ups during the pandemic highlights the importance of CMHC monitoring, emphasizing the need to enhance such services, especially during crises.
Keywords : Bipolar bozukluk, Covid-19 virüs, Ruh sağlığı hizmetleri, Yaşam kalitesi.

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