Analysis of Clinical and Psychological Characteristics on Mild and Severe COVID-19 Patients

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is threatening human physical and mental health. The features of mild and severe cases of COVID-19 may be different, and the impact of psychological intervention is not clear. It is necessary to analyze clinical and psychological characteristics of COVID-19 patients simultaneously. Objective: To evaluate the clinical and psychological differences between mild and severe COVID-19 patients and determine the efficacy of psychological intervention on the patients. Methods: Clinical and psychological data of the patients with COVID-19 were collected. The patients were grouped into mild and severe groups according to their clinical symptoms, and subdivided into psychological intervention group and non-psychological intervention group according to whether they received psychological intervention. The efficiency of psychological interventions in patients with emotional disorder was further explored. Results: 162 participants were included in this study (severe group: 41 patients, mild group: 121 patients), 72 of them received psychological assessment. The demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of mild and severe cases were quite different. Most patients in both groups showed mild to moderate anxiety and depression at admission. After psychological intervention for about three weeks, psychological scale scores (HAMA and HAMD score) of patients in the psychological intervention group (n=54) were significantly lower than those in the non-psychological intervention group (n=18) (P<0.05). Conclusions: Early psychological intervention can significantly improve the emotional state of COVID-19 patients. Comprehensive treatments comprising combined clinical and psychological interventions may be effective in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The physical and mental health of COVID-19 patients requires long-term follow-up.