Comprehensive psychological rehabilitation of patients after COVID-19

Abstract

The article presents a description of the experience of comprehensive psychological support for patients after COVID-19 at the 2nd stage of rehabilitation. One of the difficult challenges of our time has been the spread of COVID-19, which has affected the lives of many people around the world. Like other diseases, this virus can lead to various psychological consequences. That is why, in addition to medical care, patients need comprehensive psychological rehabilitation, which affects the emotional, cognitive and communicative spheres and contributes to the patient’s socio-psychological adaptation and return to an active life. The main consequences after suffering from COVID-19 are disorders of the mental, emotional, cognitive and vegetative spheres, which significantly reduces the quality of life and can lead to a narrowing of social space, conflicts, and disorders of socio-psychological adaptation. The goals of comprehensive psychological rehabilitation of patients after COVID-19: psychological recovery of patients after the disease and their socio-psychological adaptation to the changed situation, helping them copes with the emotional and psychological consequences of the disease and achieving a higher level of wellbeing in life. Psychological rehabilitation of a patient after COVID-19 is aimed at restoring and maintaining mental health and increasing social activity. To assess the dynamics of the psychological state of patients, the following methods were used: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MOCA), EQ-5D questionnaire, observation and interview. For psychocorrectional work and promoting socio-psychological adaptation, methods of individual and group work were used. To improve daily activity and quality of life, cognitive functions, normalize psycho-emotional status, and increase motivation for rehabilitation, psychological work at the 2nd stage of medical rehabilitation was carried out in the following areas: psychological counseling, cognitive training, art therapy, group work. All 179 patients after undergoing NCVI at the 2nd stage of rehabilitation were discharged with positive dynamics in all targets of correctional work: in the emotional, cognitive and social spheres. The psycho-emotional state was stabilized, anxiety decreased; indicators of concentration, stability of attention, optical-spatial activity increased; The indicators of the self-assessment scale of health and communication motivation increased, too. The results of the work showed that the comprehensive psychological rehabilitation is an important component of medical rehabilitation and is achieved by the joint work of a clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist, speech therapist and other specialists.