| Abstract |
Background
Although the world has suffered numerous epidemics and pandemics, the new human
coronavirus, which causes respiratory syndrome type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and is responsible for the
COVID-19 pandemic, has brought significant changes worldwide and caused unprecedented
concern in people.
Considering the increasing number of people who have contracted the Covid-19 virus and the
long-term effects of the infection on mental health, the present study aims to study patients
who have contracted the disease with Covid-19 compared to patients who have been
hospitalized during the same period without disease from Covid-19. The resulting data will
form a database in the field of mental health to be studied, with the aim of early diagnosis of
mental illness symptoms, so that patients can be referred for further treatment, restoring their
quality of life in the long term.
Objective
The purpose of this thesis is to record the frequency of post-Covid symptoms of anxiety,
depression and post-traumatic stress in patients who suffered from Covid-19 disease
compared to patients without Covid-19 infection.
Methods
This is a prospective cohort study carried out in hospitalized patients of the Corona Virus
Treatment Unit and the Pulmonology Clinic of the University General Hospital of Heraklion
from three to twelve months after the patients' discharge from the hospital. The sample
included 243 patients, who were given anonymous questionnaires, and ethical rules were
respected. Questionnaires included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to
assess anxiety and depression symptoms and the PCL-C to assess PTSD symptoms.
Results 18
The study included 243 patients, 121 Covid-19 patients hospitalized at the MAK clinic of the
University Hospital of Heraklion (PAGNI) and 122 non-COVID patients who were hospitalized
at the pulmonology clinic of PAGNI for pneumonia (26.2%), COPD (13.2%), asthma (4.1%),
pulmonary hypertension (1.6%) or other lung disease (50.8%). Anxiety symptoms of at least
mild severity were frequently experienced in both the COVID-19 (2.5%) and NON-COVID
(0.8%) groups, depression in both the COVID-19 (1.7%) and NON-COVID (2.5%) groups and
PTSD group (85.1) and NON-COVID group (90.2 %) respectively. The reported mental
symptoms occurred with a significantly increased frequency in the group of patients with
COVID-19 compared to patients who had been hospitalized in the pulmonology clinic for
pneumonia, asthma, or COPD (p<0.001). Hospitalization for COVID-19, age, and presence of
co-morbidities (p<0.001) were the strongest independent predisposing factors for the
occurrence of the above symptoms. Sex, month of assessment, vaccination status and disease
severity were not associated with the occurrence of post-Covid symptoms of anxiety,
depression, and post-traumatic stress.
Conclusion
Patients in both groups (COVID-19 and NON-COVID) more often manifested symptoms of
generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and mild post-traumatic stress disorder.
Patients infected by SARS CoV 2 showed a higher incidence of the reported symptoms
compared to patients who had been hospitalized for other respiratory diseases.
Hospitalization for COVID-19 was independently associated with an increased risk of
developing post-traumatic stress disorder. The current study although showed a lower
prevalence of reported symptoms than previous studies, however, outlines that individuals
with a history of confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection are more likely to suffer from mental health
problems.
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