Objective: Limited evidence is available on the psychological distress among patients hospitalized with COVID -19. We assessed (a) the incidence of psychological distress, posttraumatic symptoms and substance use among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, (b) perceived stress, coping, and social support experienced by distressed and non-distressed patients and the predictors of psychological distress. Method Ours was a hospital-based cross-sectional study, conducted in a Union Territory of India. Patients were assessed (August – September, 2020) at the time of admission (within two days) with standardized instruments (N=250). Results More than 19 percent of respondents had experienced significant psychological distress (probable cases) and nearly 9% reported post traumatic stress symptoms. The cases and non-cases differ in terms of active coping (5.51±0.87 v/s 5.06±1.06;t=3.10, p<0.01), emotional support (5.21±0.87 v/s 4.86±0.79;t=2.57, p<0.01), behavioural disengagement (5.18±0.92 v/s 4.55±1.15;t=3.56, p<0.001), venting (5.42±0.96 v/s 4.80±1.24;t=3.30, p<0.01), acceptance (5.75±1.24 v/s 5.29±1.50;t=2.23, p<0.05), religion (5.43±1.41 v/s 6.06±1.46;t=-2.76, p<0.01) and self-blame (5.65±1.00 v/s 4.82±1.39;t=3.95, p<0.001). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress (OR: 2.058;95% CI: 1.49-2.84) was the only significant predictor of the psychological distress. Conclusions Nearly one in five hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience psychological distress. Screening and treatment for trauma and psychological distress should be made an integral component of care for patients with COVID-19
Psychological Distress and Its Predictors Among Hospital Admitted COVID-19 Patients (preprint)