Psychological Responses of the Patients in Cabin Hospital to the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Comparative Epidemiologic Analysis

Humanistic care relieves mental distress of inpatients in the shelter hospital during COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai: a cross-sectional observational study

Objective

The prevalence of mental distress has been noted in shelter hospitals set up for COVID-19. Potential risk demographic and hospitalization factors were screened. We also aimed to determine whether humanistic care established in the shelter hospital was effective in ameliorating mental distress.

Methods

A cross-sectional observational survey-based single-centered study was conducted from 28th April to 5th May 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai. Asymptomatic adult inpatients and those with mild symptoms were recruited for this study, and humanistic care measures were carried out by the administrative office according to the Work Program on Psychological Assistance and Social Work Services at the Shelter Hospital launched on 5th March 2020. Symptoms of mental distress, such as reported stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia were measured using the Chinese Stress Response Questionnaire-28, the Chinese version of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Insomnia Severity Index-7, respectively.

Results

In total, 1,246 out of 9,519 inpatients, including 565 (45.35%) women and 681 (54.65%) men, with a median age of 36 years responded to the survey. The overall prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in inpatients was 94 (7.54%), 109 (8.75%), 141 (11.32%), and 144 (11.56%), respectively. Mental distress was aggravated by COVID-19-related symptoms, comorbidities, and prolonged hospital stays. A stable internet connection was the most effective measure to reduce stress and depression. Offering inpatient with study or work facilitations, and mental health education help to ameliorate anxiety and depression. Organizing volunteering was a potential protective factor against stress.

Conclusion

Humanistic care is crucial and effective for protecting against mental distress, which should be emphasized in shelter hospitals.

Stress load and volunteer motivation of patient volunteers in Fangcang shelter hospitals in Shanghai, China during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess the volunteer motivation and stress load of patient volunteers in the Fangcang shelter hospitals (FSHs), examine their associations, and explore the potential influence factors of volunteer motivation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey conducted from 21 April to 20 May 2022.

SETTING

Questionnaires were collected from patient volunteers selected by random cluster sampling in the FSHs in Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

197 participants who met the inclusion criteria as patients who were asymptomatic or presenting with mild symptoms in the FSHs and who volunteered to assist with routine work under quarantined settings.

OUTCOME MEASURES

We investigated sociodemographic information, stress load and volunteer motivation through an online survey using the Volunteer Function Inventory and the Stress Overload Scale. Comparisons between groups were conducted by applying t-tests or analysis of variance. The correlation between volunteer motivation and stress was analysed by Pearson correlation. Influencing factors of volunteer motivation were determined by multivariable linear regression models. A value of p<0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

RESULTS

The mean score of volunteer motivation of patient volunteers was 73.24 (SD 12.00), while that of stress load was 46.08 (SD 21.28). The mean scores of the personal vulnerability (PV) and event load (EL), two dimensions of stress load, were 26.99 (SD 12.46) and 19.09 (SD 9.63), respectively. The majority of the participants (136, 69.04%) were grouped in the low (PV)-low (EL) stress category. Participants' volunteer motivation was negatively correlated with stress load (r=-0.238, p<0.001), as well as PV (r=-0.188, p<0.01) and EL (r=-0.283, p<0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis identified that the potential influencing factors of volunteer motivation were occupation (B=1.100, 95% CI 0.037 to 2.164, p=0.043), health condition (B=-3.302, 95% CI -5.287 to -1.317, p<0.001) and EL (B=-0.434, 95% CI -0.756 to -0.111, p=0.009). Participants who worked in the public sector, had better health conditions and had lower EL were more likely to have higher volunteer motivation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that reducing stress load might be a possible pathway to encourage and maintain volunteerism in the FSH context. Implications and suggestions for future research on patient volunteer recruitment and management could be drawn from our findings.

Ensuring sufficient cabin hospital beds for curbing the spread of COVID-19 - Findings from petri net analysis

Due to the complexity of the virus and its rapid rate of spread, many countries face the same challenges of providing adequate medical resources. This paper provides an analytical approach for evaluating the possibility of the regional construction industry constructing a large number of cabin hospitals within a short time. The key idea is to compare the demand and supply of patient beds using a Petri net-based approach that incorporates a neural network for the prediction of demand, fuzzy logic for decision-making, and a linear model for predicting supply. The data reported in the Shanghai Omicron battle is used to validate the developed model. Our results show that the fastest conversion speed and the least manpower requirement are obtained from high-rise buildings. Then, preparing some high-rises for easy conversion into cabin hospitals seems a possible solution for future citywide preparedness toward pandemic resilience.

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A Petri net analytical tool for studying cabin hospital demand and supply.

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The case of the Shanghai Omicron outbreak.

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Sensitivity analysis for the impact of manpower and impact of venue size.

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Vertical cabin hospitals are recommended to build post-pandemic resilience.