Psychological implications of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in patients with chronic diseases: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, patients with chronic diseases faced many challenges like greater risk of Covid-19 and delay in treatment which increase the possibility of psychological problems in these individuals. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the psychological consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic in this group of patients. METHODS: In this systematic review study, published articles on the psychological consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 were reviewed. Keywords including Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), Psychological Implications, Epidemic, Mental Health, and Chronic diseases were searched in the title and abstract of articles published in reputable international scientific databases and all related English articles were listed and 30 qualified articles were reviewed. RESULTS: According to the collected data, loneliness increased stress and anxiety, and decreased sleep quality. Moreover, post-traumatic stress, panic attacks, and depressive and anxiety symptoms were the most important psychological consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic for people with chronic diseases. Female gender, old age, longer history of chronic disease, and lack of social support were associated with increased psychological problems. Increased fear and anxiety in caregivers and related health personnel were other results of the study. CONCLUSION: Many people with chronic illnesses have suffered from psychological problems during the outbreak of COVID-19. Furthermore, the extent of these problems depends on the characteristics of the chronic disease, and individuals' demographic and ecological characteristics, which emphasizes the need for designing individualized programs.