Abstract

GUERRA, Catarina  and  SILVA, Isabel. Co-living with pain in Portugal during the pandemic. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.2, pp.509-515.  Epub Sep 30, 2022. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/22psd230221.

This exploratory, descriptive and cross-sectional study aimed to describe the levels of anxiety, depression and stress in people with diseases and/or chronic pain after a declared pandemic and to understand whether these symptoms are associated with their perception and management of the pain. Data collection took place electronically, with the participation of 108 Portuguese, of which 63.9% were female, aged between 18 and 88 years. Participants answered a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire and the EADS-21 and ESSS scales. The results indicate that most consultations were postponed, with few participants enjoying follow-up through alternative routes. Most participants increased their pain control medication intake (not always with medical advice), and patients who increased their medication dose had higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress. The symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress were found to be lower the greater the perception of available social support. These results contribute to the necessary assessment of the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of patients, underlining the need to plan interventions with a view to minimizing the negative evolution of these symptoms in the long term.

Keywords : Chronic pain; Chronic diseases; Pandemic; COVID-19.

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