Psychological burden of COVID-19 on mild and moderate chronic spontaneous urticaria

Allergy Asthma Proc. 2021 Jul 1;42(4):e107-e115. doi: 10.2500/aap.2021.42.210026.

Abstract

Background: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related mental health status on chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) has not been addressed before. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the depression, anxiety and stress levels, and the fear of COVID-19 in patients with mild-to-moderate CSU and to determine their impact on urticaria activity during the pandemic. Methods: A total of 509 patients with mild-to-moderate CSU were prospectively evaluated with validated scales, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) during the lockdown period (LP) and the return to normal period (RTNP). CSU activity was determined with the urticaria activity score summed over 7 days (UAS7) and medication scores (MS). UAS7 and MS before the pandemic were retrospectively collected from medical records. Results: The median UAS7 and MS were both significantly higher in the LP than in the median of related scores during the prepandemic period (p < 0.0001) and the RTNP (p < 0.0001). The mean FCV-19S and DASS-21 scores were both significantly higher in the LP than in the RTNP (p < 0.0001). The FCV-19S and the DASS-21 anxiety and stress subscales were significantly higher in women. The UAS7s were positively correlated with the FCV-19S and depression, anxiety, and stress subscale scores. Conclusion: Fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when strict isolation measures are taken, have a significant impact on mental health and urticaria activity in patients with mild-to-moderate CSU, even though they are not infected. Psychological support for patients with CSU seems to be important to control disease activity during the pandemic.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety / diagnosis
  • Anxiety / epidemiology
  • Anxiety / psychology
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / psychology*
  • COVID-19 / therapy
  • Chronic Urticaria / diagnosis
  • Chronic Urticaria / epidemiology
  • Chronic Urticaria / psychology*
  • Chronic Urticaria / therapy
  • Cost of Illness*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression / diagnosis
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Fear
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Mental Health*
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological / diagnosis
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Time Factors
  • Turkey / epidemiology
  • Young Adult