SPIN creates the first measure assessing pandemic-related fears among patients vulnerable due to pre-existing illnesses!

In March, SPIN reached out to people living with scleroderma via social media and the SPIN Cohort to submit their fears relating to COVID-19. Based on responses from 121 participants, the SPIN Team, in collaboration with the SPIN-COVID-19 Patient Advisory Team, developed the COVID-19 Fears Questionnaire for Chronic Medical Conditions. The COVID-19 fear measure was then validated in the ongoing SPIN-COVID-19 Study Cohort of almost 800 people with scleroderma. SPIN's COVID-19 Fears Questionnaire became the first measure to assess pandemic-related fears among patients vulnerable due to pre-existing illnesses. 

SPIN would like to thank all who submitted their COVID-19 fears in March and participated in the SPIN-COVID-19 Study in April! SPIN’s COVID-19 Fears Questionnaire has been published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Check out the research infographic below for a summary of results. To read more, access the article free-of-charge here:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110271

Thanks to all of the funding bodies and wonderful patient organizations who supported this effort!

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Arthritis Society, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital Foundation, MI4 McGill University Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity Emergency COVID-19 Research Fund, Jewish General Hospital, Scleroderma Canada (made possible by an educational grant for patient support programming from Boehringer Ingelheim), Scleroderma Society of Ontario, Sclérodermie Québec, Scleroderma SASK, Scleroderma Manitoba, Scleroderma Association of British Columbia, Scleroderma Atlantic, Scleroderma Australia, Scleroderma Association of New South Wales, Scleroderma Victoria, Scleroderma Queensland.