Atkinson Lou, Kite Chris, McGregor Gordon, James Tamsin, Clark Cain C T, Randeva Harpal S, Kyrou Ioannis
School of Psychology, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (WISDEM), University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK.
J Pers Med. 2021 Sep 25;11(10):952. doi: 10.3390/jpm11100952.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the related lockdown measures presented a significant risk to physical and mental wellbeing in affected populations. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are predisposed to several cardio-metabolic risk factors which increase the susceptibility to severe COVID-19 and also exhibit increased likelihood of impaired mental health wellbeing. Therefore, these women who usually receive care from multiple primary and specialist healthcare services may be disproportionately impacted by this pandemic and the related restrictions. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of the first UK national lockdown as a woman with PCOS. As part of a larger cross-sectional study, 12 women with PCOS living in the UK during the first national COVID-19 lockdown were recruited to a qualitative study. Telephone interviews were conducted in June/July of 2020, and data collected were subjected to thematic analysis. Five themes were identified. "My PCOS Journey" describes participants' experiences of diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of their PCOS. "Living Through Lockdown" describes the overall experience and impact of the lockdown on all aspects of participants' lives. "Self-care and Managing Symptoms" describe multiple challenges to living well with PCOS during the lockdown, including lack of access to supplies and services, and disruption to weight management. "Healthcare on Hold" describes the uncertainty and anxiety associated with delays in accessing specialised healthcare for a range of PCOS aspects, including fertility treatment. "Exacerbating Existing Issues" captures the worsening of pre-existing mental health issues, and an increase in health anxiety and feelings of isolation. For the women with PCOS in this study, the COVID-19 pandemic and the first national lockdown was mostly experienced as adding to the pre-existing challenges of living with their condition. The mental health impact experienced by the study participants was increased due to lack of access to their normal support strategies, limitations on healthcare services and uncertainty about their risk of COVID-19.
新冠疫情及相关封锁措施对受影响人群的身心健康构成了重大风险。多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）女性易患多种心血管代谢风险因素，这增加了她们感染重症新冠的易感性，同时心理健康受损的可能性也更高。因此，这些通常接受多种初级和专科医疗服务护理的女性可能会受到这场疫情及相关限制措施的不成比例的影响。本研究旨在探索作为一名患有PCOS的女性在英国首次全国封锁期间的生活经历。作为一项更大规模横断面研究的一部分，招募了12名在英国首次新冠疫情封锁期间患有PCOS的女性参与一项定性研究。于2020年6月/7月进行了电话访谈，并对收集到的数据进行了主题分析。确定了五个主题。“我的PCOS历程”描述了参与者对PCOS的诊断、治疗及持续管理的经历。“经历封锁”描述了封锁对参与者生活各个方面的总体体验和影响。“自我护理与症状管理”描述了在封锁期间与PCOS和谐共处所面临的多重挑战，包括难以获得物资和服务，以及体重管理受到干扰。“医疗服务暂停”描述了因一系列PCOS相关方面（包括生育治疗）获得专科医疗服务延迟而产生的不确定性和焦虑。“使现有问题恶化”反映了既往心理健康问题的恶化，以及健康焦虑和孤独感的增加。对于本研究中的PCOS女性来说，新冠疫情和首次全国封锁主要被体验为加剧了她们在患病情况下原本就存在的挑战。由于无法采用正常的支持策略、医疗服务受限以及对自身感染新冠风险的不确定性，研究参与者所经历的心理健康影响有所增加。
