AUTHOR=Gramaglia Carla , Gambaro Eleonora , Bellan Mattia , Balbo Piero Emilio , Baricich Alessio , Sainaghi Pier Paolo , Pirisi Mario , Baldon Giulia , Battistini Sofia , Binda Valeria , Feggi Alessandro , Gai Martina , Gattoni Eleonora , Jona Amalia , Lorenzini Luca , Marangon Debora , Martelli Maria , Prosperini Pierluigi , Zeppegno Patrizia , The NO-MORE COVID Group , Avanzi Gian Carlo , Battaglia Marco , Cadario Emanuela , Cantaluppi Vincenzo , Castello Luigi Mario , Clivati Elisa , Costanzo Martina , Croce Alessandro , De Benedittis Carla , De Vecchi Simona , Gavelli Francesco , Grisafi Leonardo , Hayden Eyal , Invernizzi Marco , Marzullo Paolo , Matino Erica , Panero Antonio , Parachini Elena , Patrucco Filippo , Patti Giuseppe , Pirovano Alice , Rigamonti Cristina , Soddu Daniele , Zecca Erika
TITLE=Mid-term Psychiatric Outcomes of Patients Recovered From COVID-19 From an Italian Cohort of Hospitalized Patients
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry
VOLUME=12
YEAR=2021
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.667385
DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.667385
ISSN=1664-0640
ABSTRACT=Background: Although the usual primary clinical manifestation of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is respiratory, several non-respiratory symptoms have been described, including neuropsychiatric ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the mid-term mental health outcomes in patients recovered from COVID-19, 3–4 months after discharge from the University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy. Furthermore, we investigated the possible association of the mid-term mental health consequences of the COVID-19 infection with patients' clinical current status, persistent physical impairment and severity of acute phase of the disease.
Methods: Prospective study involving 238 individuals recovered from COVID-19. In the context of a multi-disciplinary approach, patients' assessment included both a clinical interview performed by an experienced psychiatrist, trained in the use of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and self-administered questionnaires: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), Impact of Event Scale (IES).
Results: At the psychiatric assessment 32.9 and 29.5% of participants showed anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Changes in appetite and sleep patterns emerged for 15.6 and 31.2% of patients. According to the self-administered questionnaires, 7.1% of participants had moderate-severe anxiety levels (BAI), while 10.5% had mild to severe depression (BDI-II). Twenty-six (11%) participants were referred to further psychiatric consultation. Psychiatric symptoms showed no correlation with acute COVID-19 severity; in our sample patients with depressive symptoms at the clinical interview, as well as those with mild to severe levels of depression according to BDI-II scores, had lower forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1) values than those without and greater odds for persistent, poor tolerance for physical efforts.
Conclusions: As could be expected, an approach including both a psychiatric interview and the use of self-administered questionnaires is likely to capture the psychiatric outcome of patients recovered from COVID-19 better than questionnaires alone. Anxiety and depressive symptoms at follow-up had no correlation with the severity of COVID acute manifestations, but rather with ongoing and persistent physical symptoms. Further studies and longer follow-up duration will allow a better understanding of the complex relationship between residual physical symptoms, quality of life and psychological health.