Psychological experience of infected individuals during the pandemic: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to integrate the psychological experience of infected individuals during the pandemic. The spread of the pandemic has led to psychological and emotional impacts on patients. A qualitative synthesis is needed to identify, appraise, and integrate the available qualitative findings to provide an evidence for the development of interventions. A meta-aggregation approach was used to analyze studies published in English from January 2020 to August 2021. The JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. The ConQual system was used to establish the dependability and credibility in the synthesized findings. Six phenomenological studies and one narrative inquiry with an overall quality score of 70%–100% were included. The research findings from 87 participants in eligible studies were aggregated into three categories based on similarity of meaning. Two synthesized findings were generated and rated as moderate based on the ConQual score. The synthesized findings suggested that participants had psychological distress such as fear, anxiety, loneliness, and uncertainty, but they accepted the fact of being infected and tried to adjust themselves using some self-coping strategies, such as diverting attention from disease, seeking help from professional counselors, relying on religious beliefs, and participating in religious activities. They would like to learn more about infections and diseases and needed more informational support from health-care professionals. They were looking forward to recovery from the disease.