A Comparison of Occupational Balance, Fatigue, Depression, and Anxiety in Hospital-Discharged COVID-19 Survivors with Healthy Individuals: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: COVID-19 is accompanied by various symptoms such as fever, dry cough, and fatigue in 80% of cases. Many people with COVID-19 suffer from different symptoms after recovery, similar to the initial symptoms of this disease, such as weakness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Prolonged recovery time and the consequences of hospitalization and COVID-19 in these patients can affect their occupational balance. Objectives: The present study compared occupational balance, fatigue, depression, and anxiety among hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors with healthy individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2022 in Imam Reza Hospital. The statistical population consisted of hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors and healthy individuals included in the study (70 individuals per group). Evaluations were performed in one session using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OB-Quest), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results: The mean scores of depression (8.46 ± 3.78 vs. 4.29 ± 2.91), anxiety (9.34 ± 4.38 vs. 4.46 ± 3.09), and fatigue (44.29 ± 10.02 vs. 28.49 ± 9.87) were higher in hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors than the healthy individuals. Furthermore, the rate of depression was directly related to anxiety (r = 0.773) and occupational balance disruption (moderate and severe levels) (r = 6.77). Conclusions: According the results demonstrated that hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors had more disrupted occupational balance than the healthy individuals and experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and fatigue after discharge. Given the poorer occupational balance of hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors than the healthy individuals, they need proper training after discharge to maintain a balance between different aspects of their lives and occupations. Therapists can also design and implement new interventions to improve the occupational balance of COVID-19 survivors.