ECE2021 Audio Eposter Presentations Pituitary and Neuroendocrinology (113 abstracts)
1University of Health Science Bakirkoy Dr.Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istanbul, Turkey; 2University of Health Science Bakirkoy Dr.Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
Aim
To examine and compare the anxiety level and stress perception of acromegaly patients with controlled and active disease in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and Method
49 (23 females/26 males) patients admitted to the outpatient clinic during the first month after the pandemic period were recruited in this cross-sectional study. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (S-Anxiety for state scale, T-Anxiety for trait scale) and Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) were used to evaluate the event-related current state anxiety, the general tendency to anxiety, and perceived stressful situations. Patients were divided into two groups as active (n=14) and controlled (n=35) disease groups compared to parameters affecting psychiatric distress.
Results
The active acromegaly group had significantly higher scores on all of the S-Anxiety (p=0.011), T-Anxiety (p=0.002), and PSS-14 (p=0.007) scores after controlling for age, gender, BMI, education years, marital and occupation status, disease duration, and disease-specific medical treatment status covariates. S-Anxiety (p=0.021), T-Anxiety (p=0.004), and PSS-14 (p=0.009) scores were found significantly higher in single patients than in married ones.
Conclusion
This study showed significantly increased anxiety and perceived stress levels during the pandemic, especially in the active and single acromegaly patients. Psychiatric symptoms should be carefully evaluated in the follow-up of acromegaly patients. The necessary psychological support should be provided to patients by focusing on these symptoms to improve patient management, particularly in a health-related stressful situation as the COVID-19 pandemic.