The effect of stopping visiting hours during the COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness and mood in patients at an intermediate care hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To study how mood and feelings of loneliness in our in-patients differed before and after the re-introduction of social visits during COVID-19 restrictions.

METHODS: The University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] loneliness scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] and the Cornell scale were applied to all in-patients in an intermediate care hospital who fulfilled the inclusion criteria during two separate periods between May and September 2020, prior and after the re-introduction of limited visiting hours.

RESULTS: 45 patients were included in the 1st phase and 30 patients during the 2nd phase. 66.7% were female and 33.3 % male. There was a significant difference in all the test results between the 1st and 2nd phase of the study (HADS-A p=0.0191; HADS-D p=0.0447; Cornell p=0.0037; UCLA p=0.0376).

CONCLUSION: Social visits, even when limited in nature can still have a positive effect on patient’s mood and level of loneliness.