RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR IN RECOVERED COVID-19 PATIENTS

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate risk-taking behavior and decision-making processes in recovered COVID- 19 patients. Subjects and methods: Twenty patients recovered from COVID-19 as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and twenty-one healthy individuals were recruited. A computerized version of the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT) for measuring risk taking behavior tendencies as a decision-making process and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and WMS-R Digit Span Forward Test (DSFT) for clinical assessments included. The assessments of the recovered patients were applied on the initial phase that the tests of the patients were negative and on the 4-week follow up phase. Results: The results showed that the anxiety scores were significantly higher in the healthy control group than in the group of recovered patients. The IGT-Net 4 scores were significantly and IGT-Net total scores were marginally significantly lower in the group of recovered patients. In other words, recovered patients showed higher risk-taking behavior tendencies. This tendency difference is consistent with the anxiety levels of the groups. These IGT scores showed to be persistent in the 4-week follow up phase. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that recovered patients show higher risk-taking behavior tendencies than healthy controls and this may be the result of overcoming the COVID-19 threat

Investigation of the frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients by the hospital anxiety and depression scale

The development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with hypertension increases the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. It is known that psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression are associated with hypertension (HT) and other cardiovascular diseases. HT patients were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Sociodemographic and laboratory data of the patients were recorded. LVH was seen in 34 of 103 patients, and LVH was not seen in 69 patients. The mean age was 47.8 years in the group with LVH and 49.5 in the group with non-LVH. According to the results of our study, there was no significant difference between the LVH group and the Non-LVH group in terms of age, gender, BMI, smoking, loneliness status, and EF. The most striking result of our study was that the HADS score was significantly higher in the group with LVH than in the group with Non-LVH (p [Med-Science 2023; 12(1.000): 58-62