Stress and anxiety levels and factors affecting coping mechanisms in patients hospitalised with COVID-19

Introduction and objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess stress and anxiety levels during hospitalisation due to COVID-19 and the relationship between them and personality traits, and coping strategies among women and men, and assessment of stress predictors. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in a reference single-name hospital in Warsaw. The Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), the BRIEF-COPE Questionnaire, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-PL) were used. Results: The study involved 60 patients (30 women and 30 men) aged 24 to 82 years (M = 52.42, standard deviation, SD = 12.94). Elevated stress levels were found in half of the subjects studied; state anxiety levels were increased in 70% of the participants, and trait anxiety in 77% of them. Compared to men, women had significantly higher levels of state anxiety, and lower levels of openness to new experiences. It was shown that reducing stress levels during hospitalisation depends on the use of either an Active Coping strategy or an avoidance of the Helplessness strategy, with the level of state anxiety being the moderator in both models. Conclusions: Half of the patients hospitalised with COVID-19 did not experience elevated stress levels; women felt state anxiety more intensely as a condition during their hospital stay than men, and 40% of the subjects had an increased level of trait anxiety. For lower stress levels and/or state anxiety, adaptive coping strategies and personality traits were crucial: conscientiousness and agreeableness for women, and openness to experiences and agreeableness for men.