Prevalence and factors associated with long COVID and mental health status among recovered COVID-19 patients in southern Thailand

Abstract

Mental health disorders have become a growing public health concern among individuals recovering from COVID-19. Long COVID, a condition where symptoms persist for an extended period, can predict psychological problems among COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of long COVID and mental health status among Thai adults who had recovered from COVID-19, identify the association between the mental health status and long COVID symptoms, and investigate the risk factors associated with the correlation between long COVID and mental health outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 939 randomly selected participants in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 was used to investigate mental health symptoms, and a checklist comprised of thirteen common symptoms was used to identify the long COVID among participants. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the risk factors associated with mental health status and long COVID symptoms among participants. Among the 939 participants, 104 (11.1%) had depression, 179 (19.1%) had anxiety, and 42 (4.8%) were stressed. A total of 745 participants (79.3%) reported experiencing at least one symptom of long COVID, with fatigue (72.9%, SE±0.02), cough (66.0%, SE±0.02), and muscle pain (54.1%, SE±0.02) being the most frequently reported symptoms. All long COVID symptoms were significantly associated with mental health status. Shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest tightness were the highest risk factors for mental health status among COVID-19 patients. The final multivariable model indicated that female patients (OR = 1.89), medical history (OR = 1.92), and monthly income lower than 5,000 Thai baht (OR = 2.09) were associated with developing long COVID symptoms and mental health status (all p<0.01). This study provides valuable insights into the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health and enhances understanding of the mechanisms underlying the condition for predicting the occurrence of mental health issues in Thai COVID-19 patients.

An Analysis of Machine Learning for Detecting Depression, Anxiety, and Stress of Recovered COVID-19 Patients

“…In terms of disease conditions, our results highlighted associations between depression, anxiety, and stress with underlying diseases, such as non-communicable diseases, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease. This aligns with existing research emphasizing that underlying diseases are significant risk factors contributing to the severity of symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and stress [36][37][38], underscoring the need for heightened mental health awareness, particularly among those with underlying health issues.…”

Association of Long COVID with mental health disorders: a retrospective cohort study using real-world data from the USA

“… 19 Similarly, in Thailand, Phu et al reported that individuals experiencing Long COVID symptoms were at a substantially higher risk of depression (OR 4.00) and anxiety (OR 6.93) in a study involving 939 hospitalised patients between January 2021 and May 2022. 20 The variation in increased risk may be attributable to differences in participant characteristics; for example, their cohorts were hospital based, whereas our study used general EHR data. Additionally, our approach involved survival analysis to account for time-to-event data and censoring, in contrast to these studies that employed logistic regression models for binary outcomes.…”

COVID-19 Patients' Experiences during the Pandemic: A Phenomenology Study

“…Survivors, on the other hand, must remain "self-confident for continuing life" and not be afraid of the possibility of reinfection. According to Phu et al [16], those who have previously had COVID-19 are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems such as worry, stress, and depression, potentially arising from the fear of reinfection, the sense of isolation, or the persistence of symptoms.…”

“…For instance, Pumipak et al [15] conducted telephone interviews with individuals suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 infections and receiving outpatient care in Bangkok, focusing on symptom experience and perceived health status. Similarly, Phu et al [16] studied Thai adults who had recovered from COVID-19, investigating associations between mental health issues and long-term COVID-19 symptoms among the participants. However, there is a dearth of information about the lived experience of COVID-19 patients from Thailand, especially having a combined study on the COVID-19 patient's pre-illness history, including pre-admission, hospitalization, and reintegration into their community.…”