Examination of the effects of COVID-19 on the psychosocial life and the sources of social support of people with rare diseases in Turkey

ABSTRACT The study aims to examine the effects of the COVID-19 on the psychosocial life and the sources of social support of people with rare diseases in Turkey. The research was conducted with 178 rare disease patients. The sociodemographic questionnaire, The Fear of COVID-19 scale, General Health Survey-12, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale average score is 20.20 ± 6.11, General Health Survey-12 average score is 5.82 ± 1.77, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support average score is 52.84 ± 14.23. There is a positive correlation between ages and scores on The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (r = .221, p˂.001). There is a negative correlation between the participant’s scores on the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale and the General Health Survey-12 (r = -,265, p˂.001). It is suggested to develop social service delivery systems to support people with rare diseases.]