Abstract

Objective: We aimed to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics, perceptions of disease,  stigma, social support levels and psychosocial adaptations of patients with COVID-19 and patients with chronic infections (TB, hepatitis, HIV) who were followed as inpatients.

Methods: The cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 100 patients receiving inpatient treatment between January 2021 and January 2022. Criteria for selecting patients were being able to understand and speak Turkish, being at least literate, having TB, hepatitis, HIV or severe COVID-19 disease, and being an adult (over 18 years old). Data were collected using a personal information form, “Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report”, “Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire”, and “Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale”.

Results: We determined that there was a significant difference in terms of demographic characteristics (age, education, marital and employment status) and hospitalization duration of individuals with COVID-19 and chronic infections (TB, hepatitis, HIV) who received inpatient treatment. There was also a significant difference in personal and treatment control, illness coherence, emotional representation dimensions, and attributions towards possible causes of the disease, as well as feelings of stigma, social support perceptions, and psychosocial adaptation.

Conclusion: This study not only underscores the need for a biopsychosocial approach to individuals with contagious infectious diseases but also provides practical insights for healthcare professionals. Addressing the patients’ perception of their illness early on can significantly improve patient beliefs, leading to more effective patient-centered treatment outcomes. Moreover, supporting individuals with infectious diseases in biopsychosocial management can play a crucial role in reducing psychological morbidity.