The Psychological Nursing Interventions Based on Pygmalion Effect Could Alleviate Negative Emotions of Patients with Suspected COVID-19 Patients: a Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the psychological status of suspected COVID-19 patients during quarantine and put forward a new yet effective psychological nursing strategy for intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study with suspected COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized to the two hospitals of Hunan province, China and accepted the intervention of psychological nursing from 01/2020 to 03/2020. The control group received routine psychological nursing care and the observation group received the new psychological nursing intervention according to Pygmalion effect. RESULTS: A total of 89 objects were included in the analysis. Results of the questionnaire before intervention showed that the majority of isolated suspected COVID-19 patients showed negative emotions, with the incidence of depression (51.69%), anxiety (14.617%), inverted provocation (22.47%), extraverted provocation (25.84%). And the extraverted provocation scores of female patients was significantly higher than that of male counterparts (P < 0.05). At discharge, compared with the control group, the scores of depression, anxiety, introversion and extraversion of patients in the observation group were significantly lower after nursing intervention based on Pygmalion effect. The satisfaction rate of psychological care based on Pygmalion effect was 86.66%. CONCLUSION: Suspected COVID-19 patients tend to show the symptoms of depression, anxiety and irritation during quarantine. The psychological nursing based on Pygmalion effect is helpful to alleviate their negative emotions.