The aim of the present study was to establish a single-arm group psychotherapy and to evaluate its clinical effectiveness in long COVID patients.
This study took place at the Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Switzerland, and included data collection between November 2021 and January 2024. During this time span, the same licensed psychotherapist conducted the group psychotherapy six times in total with a maximum of nine patients each. Each of the six groups had one-hour group therapy sessions weekly within eight consecutive weeks. During the study period, the group psychotherapy was part of a more comprehensive treatment for long COVID as all patients primarily received active pacing therapy. The investigators implemented cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) elements into group psychotherapy and focused on fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, psychotraumatology, and quality of life as psychosomatic outcome measures (pre- and post-interventional).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
50
Group psychotherapy based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) elements
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Switzerland
Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Change of Fatigue Score measured with the Questionnaire "FSS" (Fatigue Severity Scale) from baseline to 8 weeks
9 is equivalent to no fatigue and 63 indicates the worst possible fatigue.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change of Insomnia Score measured with the Questionnaire "ISI" (Insomnia Severity Index) from baseline to 8 weeks
0 is equivalent to no insomnia and 28 indicates the worst possible insomnia.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change of Quality of Life and Current Health Status measured with the Questionnaire "EQ-5D-5L" (European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Level Version) from baseline to 8 weeks
0 (and -0.59) is equivalent to the lowest quality of life (and current health) and 100 (and 1) indicates the best possible quality of life (and current health)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change of Depression and Anxiety Score measured with the Questionnaire "HADS" (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) from baseline to 8 weeks
0 is equivalent to no depression/anxiety and 21 indicates the worst possible depression/anxiety.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change of Depression, Anxiety, and Somatic Symptom Scores measured with the Questionnaire "PHQ-SADS" (Patient Health Questionnaire) from baseline to 8 weeks
0 is equivalent to no depression/anxiety/somatic symptoms and 30 indicates the worst possible depression/anxiety/somatic symptoms.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change of Psychotraumatology Score measured with the Questionnaire "IES-R" (Impact of Event Scale-revised) from baseline to 8 weeks
-4.36 is equivalent to no psychotraumatology (no suspected PTSD) and 2.99 indicates the worst possible psychotraumatology (suspected PTSD). A score equally or greater than zero (cut-off point) indicates suspected PTSD.
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Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks