Remote Stress Management Training, a Solution to Improve the Cognitive Status of Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience symptoms of cognitive impairment. These patients perceive a lot of stress and are required to comply with quarantine conditions. Remote stress management training, in accordance with the principles of quarantine of these patients, can be effective in their recovery process. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of remote stress management training on the cognitive status of patients with COVID-19.

In this randomized clinical trial, the research population was all the patients with COVID-19 referred to Gharazi Hospital in Isfahan City, Iran, in the winter of 2021. Seventy patients were selected by available sampling method and divided into two intervention and control groups (35 people) by limited randomization method. For the intervention group, the remote stress management online training program was implemented in five 60-minute sessions over two weeks. The control group did not receive training. The cognitive status index was measured using Folstein et al.'s brief cognitive status examination questionnaire [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)] before and after the training sessions. The data were analyzed with SPSS software at two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics and by performing chi-square test, independent t-test, paired t-test as well as the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

The comparison of the average scores of the cognitive status in the pre-test and post-test phases of the two groups showed that the remote stress management training had a significant effect on the cognitive status of the patients with COVID-19 and improved this index in the intervention group (P ≤ 0.05).

Based on the results, remote stress management training can improve the cognitive status of patients with COVID-19. Therefore, this method of training is recommended due to the convenience and possibility of using it in the quarantine conditions of these patients.