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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04841681

Video-based Psychotherapy for COVID-19 Patients in Isolation Ward in Jakarta

The COVID-19 pandemic has made severe impact worldwide for those inflicted by the disease, the caretakers, the general public, as well as the health care system. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience physical isolation during treatment. Isolation may lead to psychological distress that could negatively affect well-being such as affective states of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Thus, creative ways to deliver psycho-social support are needed when face-to-face therapy sessions may not possible. We investigated the effectiveness of video-based psychotherapy in reducing distress in patients with COVID-19 treated in a general hospital isolation ward in Jakarta. This study included 42 patients with COVID-19, who were asked to watch three brief psychotherapy videos about relaxation, managing thoughts and emotions, and mindfulness. Before and after watching the videos, patients were asked to complete the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) to measure their stress level. 31 subjects experienced a significant decrease in SUDS score after the intervention. Our brief video-based psychotherapy intervention may have a positive effect on reducing distress in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in areas with scarce resources.

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Key information

Conditions

Covid19 COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Distress, Emotional Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital

Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia

About this study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought severe consequences worldwide. Indonesia is one of the countries which has been affected by this pandemic. The examination, treatment, and monitoring of individuals with COVID-19 often requires them to be in a hospital isolation ward. There are a lot of factors which could negatively affect the mental health of such patients during their isolation, to the point that they develop significantly debilitating conditions.

Several psychotherapy interventions have been known to be effective during a pandemic situation. The interventions include those based on techniques of relaxation, managing thoughts and feelings, and mindfulness. These methods could help reducing negative and catastrophic thoughts about the future, reducing distress level and hyperarousal, and other beneficial effect. However, due to the high transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2), face-to-face therapy sessions are rendered difficult to hold under the circumstances. Thus, we conducted a pilot study to test the impact of a video-based psychotherapy intervention on distress and well-being in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in a medical isolation ward.

This pilot study included 42 patients with COVID-19, aged 20-59. Participants watched three brief psychotherapy videos covering relaxation, managing thoughts and emotions, and mindfulness. Before and after watching the videos, patients were asked to complete the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS). 31 subjects experienced a significant median decrease in SUDS score after the intervention. The effect size was 0.485, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.302 to 0.634. Our brief video-based psychotherapy intervention may have a positive effect on reducing distress in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in areas with scarce resources. This study could be used as a reference for future studies regarding the method of choice for delivering psychotherapy intervention for patients in isolation ward during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with COVID-19 in Kiara Ultimate CMH (Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital) isolation ward who are at least 18 years old
  • Patients with COVID-19 in Kiara Ultimate CMH isolation ward who are able to give an informed consent
  • Patients with COVID-19 in Kiara Ultimate CMH isolation ward who agreed to watch the psychotherapy videos about relaxation, managing thoughts and feelings, and mindfulness using electronic devices provided by the research team or their own devices independently

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients in unstable conditions such as patients on a ventilator, experiencing breathing difficulties, or in need of oxygen support, with fluctuating levels of consciousness
  • Patients with physical and intellectual disabilities that may hinder ability to understand instructions of the video-based psychotherapy intervention

Treatment and study plan

Video-based Psychotherapy

Behavioral

Participants in the group watched three short videos. Therapeutic elements in the three consecutive short videos included relaxation therapy, managing thoughts and feelings, and mindfulness. Each video has a duration of just over 10 minutes.

In the first video, the participants were introduced to the purpose and benefits of relaxation techniques. These included rhythmic breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, imagining a comforting and quiet place, and positive self-talk. In the second video about managing thoughts and feelings, the participants were introduced to the notion of acceptance of their condition. They were invited to recognize the emergence of negative feelings and thoughts related to acceptance. In the last video about mindfulness, patients were introduced to three basic mindfulness skills: observation, elaboration, and participation.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) at Right After Receiving Video-based Psychotherapy

    Time frame: Baseline (before receiving the intervention of video-based psychotherapy) and immediately after receiving the intervention of video-based psychotherapy (right after the participants have finished watching the 30 minutes-long psychotherapy videos)

    Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) is a self-rating instrument used to measure the distress level of an individual in a numeric scale from the scale of 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress).

    Change = score right after participants have received the video-based psychotherapy - baseline score before they received the video-based psychotherapy

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Indonesia University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of Video-based Psychotherapy in Reducing Distress in Patients With COVID-19 Treated in a Hospital Isolation Ward in Jakarta

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Apr 12, 2021
Registry last updated
Apr 12, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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