Exploring Spiritual Needs and Loneliness Among Acutely Hospitalized Patients with Chronic Illnesses: An Observational Study Across Three Waves of the COVID-19 Epidemic in Taiwan.

IF 2.4 4区 医学 Q1 MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
Yu-Yin Kao, Shu-Wei Wang, Chen-Hsiang Lee
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Abstract

Background and Objectives: Spirituality and loneliness are widely recognized as important aspects of holistic healthcare. This observational study was conducted among hospitalized patients with chronic illnesses in a medical ward during three waves of the epidemic in Taiwan, from April 2022 to March 2023, to examine changes in spiritual needs and loneliness. Materials and Methods: These waves were classified as the first wave (outbreak period, April 2022 to July 2022); second wave (mitigation period, August 2022 to November 2022); and third wave (December 2022 to March 2023). The Spiritual Needs Scale and Loneliness Scale were used to assess changes in spiritual needs and loneliness of the enrolled patients across the different waves of the epidemic. Results: We found that the spiritual needs of the enrolled patients were higher during the outbreak period (F = 9.847, p < 0.001) compared to the other periods. In addition, loneliness was higher during the conclusion period (F = 45.764, p < 0.001) compared to the other two periods. Age (r = 0.261, p < 0.001) and the Charlson comorbidity index (r = 0.193, p < 0.01) were significantly positively correlated with spiritual needs. Furthermore, the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases (r = -0.392, p < 0.001) was significantly negatively correlated with loneliness. Conclusions: Hospitalized patients with chronic illnesses experienced heightened spiritual needs during the COVID-19 outbreak, while loneliness increased as the epidemic waned. The study's prospective observational design is a strength, but incorporating additional temporal measures between periods would have enhanced the findings.

慢性疾病急性住院患者的精神需求与孤独感:台湾地区三波新冠肺炎疫情的观察研究
背景和目的:灵性和孤独被广泛认为是整体医疗保健的重要方面。这项观察性研究是在台湾从2022年4月到2023年3月的三波疫情期间,对住院的慢性疾病患者进行的,以研究精神需求和孤独感的变化。材料和方法:这些波被归类为第一波(暴发期为2022年4月至2022年7月);第二波(缓解期,2022年8月至2022年11月);第三波(2022年12月至2023年3月)。采用《精神需求量表》和《孤独感量表》评估入选患者在不同疫情时期精神需求和孤独感的变化。结果:我们发现入组患者的精神需求在疫情期间高于其他时期(F = 9.847, p < 0.001)。结论期患者的孤独感高于其他两期(F = 45.764, p < 0.001)。年龄(r = 0.261, p < 0.001)、Charlson合并症指数(r = 0.193, p < 0.01)与精神需求呈显著正相关。此外,每日确诊病例数(r = -0.392, p < 0.001)与孤独感呈显著负相关。结论:慢性疾病住院患者在疫情期间精神需求增加,孤独感随着疫情的减弱而增加。该研究的前瞻性观察设计是一个优势,但在两个时期之间结合额外的时间测量将增强研究结果。
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来源期刊
Medicina-Lithuania
Medicina-Lithuania 医学-医学:内科
CiteScore
3.30
自引率
3.80%
发文量
1578
审稿时长
25.04 days
期刊介绍: The journal’s main focus is on reviews as well as clinical and experimental investigations. The journal aims to advance knowledge related to problems in medicine in developing countries as well as developed economies, to disseminate research on global health, and to promote and foster prevention and treatment of diseases worldwide. MEDICINA publications cater to clinicians, diagnosticians and researchers, and serve as a forum to discuss the current status of health-related matters and their impact on a global and local scale.
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