Page 82 - JCBP-3-4

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Psychological features and emotional

well-being in COVID-19 patients with
gastrointestinal symptoms

1,2
Kalliopi Megari * , Dimitra V. Katsarou 3 , Evangelos Mantsos 4 ,
Soultana Papadopoulou 5 , Efthymia Efthymiou 6 , Alexandros Argyriadis 7 ,
Eugenia I. Toki 5 , and Evanthia Thomaidou 8

1 Department of Psychology, CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, Thessaloniki, Greece
2 Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Western
Macedonia, Florina, Greece
3 Department of Preschool Education Sciences and Educational Design, School of Humanities,
University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece
4 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, School of Physical Education, Sport Science
and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
5 Department of Speech Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Dodoni, Greece
6 College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
7 Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Heraklion,
Crete, Greece
8 Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

*Corresponding author: Abstract
Kalliopi Megari
(kmegari@psy.auth.gr) The prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in COVID-19 patients is more than
Citation: Megari K, Katsarou DV, 20%. Research has revealed that the incidence of GI symptoms, including anorexia,
Mantsos E, et al. Psychological nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, can be as high as 79.1%, and that diarrhea,
features and emotional well- as the main symptom, can be present in 49.5% of the cases. Among these patients,
being in COVID-19 patients with the psychological impact of various GI symptoms poses an essential consideration
gastrointestinal symptoms. J Clin
Basic Psychosom. 2025;3(4):76-84. in the quality of life after hospital discharge and recovery. In this study, 102 patients
doi: 10.36922/JCBP025040007 hospitalized for COVID-19, with GI symptoms, were divided into two groups: The GI
Received: January 25, 2025 group (n = 54), with the predominant GI symptoms of anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and
abdominal pain, and the D group (n = 48), with the predominant symptom of diarrhea.
Revised: April 19, 2025 Questionnaires assessing positive and negative moods, anxiety, and depression were
Accepted: May 9, 2025 administered to all patients, and psychological evaluation took place 3 months after
the first positive polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19. The results demonstrate
Published online: May 27, 2025
that patients in the GI group exhibited lower scores in the negative mood, anxiety, and
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). depression tests, and higher scores in the positive mood test, compared to the patients
This is an Open-Access article in the D group. In conclusion, emotions play an important role in the outcome of COVID-
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 19 patients with different GI symptoms. Notably, diarrhea is an important symptom
License, permitting distribution, associated with negative mood, anxiety, and depression. Understanding the emotional
and reproduction in any medium, impact of specific GI symptoms on COVID-19 patients is essential for developing a
provided the original work is
properly cited. comprehensive approach to the care and well-being of COVID-19 patients.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Psychological features; COVID-19 patients; Digestive system; Gastrointestinal
regard to jurisdictional claims in effects; Diarrhea; Anxiety
published maps and institutional
affiliations.

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2025) 76 doi: 10.36922/JCBP025040007