학술논문

Complex association between post-COVID-19 condition and anxiety and depression symptoms
Document Type
article
Source
European Psychiatry, Vol 67 (2024)
Subject
anxiety
depression
general population
long COVID
persistent symptoms
post-COVID-19 condition
Psychiatry
RC435-571
Language
English
ISSN
0924-9338
1778-3585
Abstract
Abstract Background To assess the associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) by exploring the direction of these associations and their relevance in the definition of PCC. Methods Nationwide survey among French adults, recruited between March and April, 2022, using a quota method to capture a representative sample of the general population with regard to sex, age, socioeconomic status, size of the place of residence, and region. We included all participants who met the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of PCC in addition to a random sample of participants infected with SARS-COV-2 for at least 3 months but without PCC. Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, chronic anxiety and depression (for more than 3 years), and anxiety and depression were measured using the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 questionnaires, respectively. Results In a sample of 1,095 participants with PCC and 1,021 participants infected with SARS-COV-2 without PCC, 21% had self-reported anxiety and 18% self-reported depression, whereas 33% and 20% had current measured symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. The high prevalence of these symptoms cannot only be explained by the characterization of PCC, as only 13.4% of anxiety symptoms and 7.6% of depressive symptoms met the WHO criteria for PCC. Only one participant met the WHO criteria based on self-reported anxiety or depressive symptoms alone, as these were always combined with other symptoms in patients with PCC. Chronic symptoms were associated with PCC (aOR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.00–1.61). In addition, measured anxiety was associated with PCC (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.02–1.62). Conclusions Pre-COVID-19 chronic anxiety and depression may play a role in the development of PCC or share vulnerability factors with it. Our results challenge the inclusion of anxiety and depression in the definition of PCC.