Effect of an online psychological support group on patients with COVID-19 in a Thai field hospital: a real world study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an online psychological support group on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Thai field hospital.Design/methodology/approachA prospective controlled trial was conducted at a Thai field hospital and included patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were over the age of 18 and able to use an online communication application. Patients were free to decide whether to participate in the online group. The group provided a space for participants to communicate with each other and a mental health service team. The everyday activities were designed to enable group support via texting or livestreaming through the LINE application. Psychoeducation via video clips or articles regarding stress management were provided. Outcomes were measured by an online self-reported questionnaire based on the twenty-one-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) on the first and fourteenth day of admission to the field hospital.FindingsForty-six patients participated in this study. Forty participants completed the secondary assessment, with 21 in the intervention group and 19 in the control group. From multilevel mixed-effects regression analysis, adjusted for gender, age and education, participation in the intervention group significantly decreased total DASS scores and anxiety subdomain scores compared to those in the control group (p = 0.038 and 0.008).Originality/valueThe online psychological support group offered benefits for patients with COVID-19 who were isolated in the field hospital. It could be an effective alternative measure to distribute psychological care during a pandemic situation. However, a small sample size was a limitation of this study.