US EditionLong Covid patients report dismissal and lack of support from healthcare providers
- A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology in 2025 by Saara Petker and Jane Ogden from the University of Surrey, explored the experiences of patients living with Long Covid and their beliefs about the role of psychology in their condition.
- Millions worldwide are battling Long Covid, which is defined as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after the initial COVID-19 infection, and it presents a complex challenge to medical understanding and patient-provider relationships.
- The study involved semi-structured interviews with fourteen UK residents, aged 27-63, 12 of whom were women, who had self-reported or been diagnosed with Long Covid, exploring their experiences, beliefs about symptom persistence, coping strategies, recovery perspectives, and views on psychological factors.
- Analysis of the interviews revealed key themes including 'Living in uncertainty' and 'Why should I trust you if you don't believe me?', highlighting a tension between medical expertise and the lived experiences of patients who often felt dismissed and invalidated, leading them to actively seek biological validation and sometimes reject psychological explanations.
- The study suggests that healthcare providers should acknowledge the uncertainties of Long Covid, listen to and believe patients, and offer psychological support alongside medical investigations to rebuild trust and facilitate better coping strategies, as patients are more receptive to psychological approaches when their physical symptoms are validated.
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