“I'm in iso all the time anyway”: A mixed methods study on the impact of COVID-19 on women with endometriosis

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in restrictions and social isolation measures, which carry mental health risks. Cancellation of surgery and appointments, medication shortages and fear of the virus itself may have further challenged wellbeing. We aimed to understand how COVID-19 has affected people with endometriosis. Methods: Using a mixed methods design, we examined; 1) the impact of COVID-19 on endometriosis related healthcare, symptoms and functioning; and 2) the relationship between a measure of fear of COVID-19 and qualitative impact in 162 women with endometriosis. Results: We found that 60% of women reported impact of the pandemic upon healthcare, with sub-themes documenting the difficulty of cancelled and delayed treatment, specific COVID-19 barriers, and the advantages and disadvantages of telehealth. Only 23% reported negative impact on symptoms, specifically stress; 76% reported impact on daily functioning, with sub-themes related to compromised work, social life and healthy living. A ‘hidden benefits’ theme revealed ways that COVID-19 had improved some women's lives, including working from home, and the opportunity for healthy lifestyle choices. Logistic regressions revealed that fear of COVID-19 significantly predicted impact themes (healthcare odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.87–0.98; symptoms odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.82–0.95; functioning odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.85–0.99). Conclusion: Our findings indicate the need to provide patients with supportive care during pandemic restrictions that leverage self-management strategies.