How Lived Experiences of COVID-19 Shape Mental Health: A Case Series of COVID-19 Patients from Wuhan, China

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severely impacts physical and mental health of COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate COVID-19 patient narratives to reveal how their lived experiences of COVID-19 infection and quarantine shape their mental health. In-depth semi-structural interviews were conducted with 5 COVID-19 patients from Wuhan to elicit their lived experiences of COVID-19. The case reports showed that persons diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and admitted to the COVID ward developed the symptoms of anxiety, worry, low mood, frustration, irritability, stigma, distress, guilt, and loneliness. Lack of scientific information, long-term social isolation, and limited social support were the main risk factors leading to their mental health problems. The study sug-gests that timely diagnosis of patients’ mental health problems and diverse psychological interventions are needed before, during, and after their hospitalization.