{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T03:15:23Z","timestamp":1785726923514,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]],"date-time":"2025-05-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746403200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec022\">\n<jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>South Africa has a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and experienced a high COVID-19 caseload, while the healthcare system was already overstretched. The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of 1) healthcare professionals (HPs) of COVID-19 and NCD management, and the preparedness of health systems to provide NCD care, and 2) people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) on the care they received, their mental health status and the availability of health information during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec023\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We recruited a convenience sample of 1) HPs who worked in healthcare management, i.e., public health officials and healthcare workers who provided care and engaged with patients in any healthcare capacity, and 2) PLWNCDs with \u22651 NCD. Questionnaires comprised quantitative and some open-ended follow-up questions. SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data, and content analysis with inductive reasoning was used to evaluate the open-ended questions.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec024\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This cross-sectional study comprised 31 HPs and 79 PLWNCDs. The provision of COVID-19 care was perceived to be adequate by HPs while NCD care was poor with disruptions of services, including for emergency and specialised NCDs care. Strategies to care for non-COVID-19 illnesses during the pandemic were lacking. This would have serious long-term consequences for PLWNCDs and the healthcare system. Perceptions of inadequate NCD care were repeated by PLWNCDs; 49% felt they received \u2018very little\u2019 or no adequate care and 18% had a scheduled appointment cancelled. Further, many PLWNCDs (52%) felt anxious, lonely or frightened during the pandemic and 15% felt their mental health had deteriorated, but only a small proportion sought medical attention. The utility of digital health was positively perceived by both HPs and PLWNCDs and could contribute to better health provision during crises.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec025\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Policies are needed to ensure that NCD care will not be neglected during future crises and to encourage PLWNCDs to access healthcare services timeously during such periods. Potential strategies may utilise digital health apps to improve care and to address the mental healthcare needs of PLWNCDs.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0318156","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]],"date-time":"2025-05-05T17:32:58Z","timestamp":1746466378000},"page":"e0318156","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Non-communicable disease and mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa: Perspectives from selected healthcare professionals and patients"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2131-8344","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nasheeta","family":"Peer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tshephang","family":"Mashiane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michel","family":"Oris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kibachio","family":"Mwangi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2607-7316","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sugitha","family":"Sureshkumar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andre-Pascal","family":"Kengne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0318156.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1080\/14779072.2021.1855975","article-title":"Ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and their cardiometabolic risk factors in Africa: current challenges and outlook for the future","volume":"19","author":"N Peer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref002","volume-title":"Action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013\u20132020","author":"World Health Organization.","year":"2013"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref003","volume-title":"Political declaration of the Third High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (document A\/73\/L.2)","author":"United Nations","year":"2018"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref004","volume-title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on noncommunicable disease resources and services: results of a rapid assessment","author":"World Health Organization.","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e30","DOI":"10.1017\/S146342362100030X","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on the care of people living with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of physicians and pharmacists in nine countries","volume":"22","author":"C Bullen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Prim Health Care Res Dev"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23743735211034091","DOI":"10.1177\/23743735211034091","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on the care of patients with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of patient perspectives","volume":"8","author":"R Devi","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Patient Exp"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"992481","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.992481","article-title":"Essential health services delivery in South Africa during COVID-19: community and healthcare worker perspectives","volume":"10","author":"ST Lalla-Edward","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0318156.ref008","first-page":"30","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa: a narrative review","volume":"30","author":"B Formenti","year":"2022","journal-title":"Infez Med"},{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0318156.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8023","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19138023","article-title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy lifestyle behaviors and perceived mental and physical health of people living with non-communicable diseases: an international cross-sectional survey","volume":"19","author":"S Azzouzi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref010","unstructured":"Secretariat to the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. 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May 2021. 2021."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0318156.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1111\/tmi.13504","article-title":"Comorbidities and the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics in Africa","volume":"26","author":"AA Anjorin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trop Med Int Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0318156.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1809","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dsx.2020.09.016","article-title":"Effects of COVID-19 in South African health system and society: an explanatory study","volume":"14","author":"E Mbunge","year":"2020","journal-title":"Diabetes Metab Syndr"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0318156.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"714","DOI":"10.7196\/SAMJ.2021.v111i8.15786","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 on routine primary healthcare services in South Africa","volume":"111","author":"Y Pillay","year":"2021","journal-title":"S Afr Med J"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103838","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actpsy.2023.103838","article-title":"Attention and memory after COVID-19 as measured by neuropsychological tests: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"233","author":"BB Velichkovsky","year":"2023","journal-title":"Acta Psychol (Amst)"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0318156.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1037\/a0020847","article-title":"Retrospective memory bias for the frequency of potentially traumatic events: a prospective study.","volume":"3","author":"KM Lalande","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychol Trauma"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.npls.2016.01.001","article-title":"How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis","volume":"2","author":"M Bengtsson","year":"2016","journal-title":"NursingPlus Open"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0318156.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v14i1.3443","article-title":"Non-communicable disease care and management in two sites of the Cape Town Metro during the first wave of COVID-19: a rapid appraisal","volume":"14","author":"PA Delobelle","year":"2022","journal-title":"Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0318156.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1177\/1359105308088527","article-title":"Symptoms of depression and anxiety among a sample of South African patients living with a chronic illness","volume":"13","author":"A Kagee","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Health Psychol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0318156.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"779","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dsx.2020.05.035","article-title":"Psychosocial impact of COVID-19","volume":"14","author":"S Dubey","year":"2020","journal-title":"Diabet Metabol Syndrome"},{"key":"pone.0318156.ref020","author":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.","year":"2021"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0318156","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]],"date-time":"2025-05-05T17:33:08Z","timestamp":1746466388000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0318156"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Desalew Tilahun","family":"Beyene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0318156","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]]}}}