Risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 recovered patients. A cross-sectional study

Abstract

High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have been found among patients with more severe COVID-19-related symptoms, and hospitalization is generally recognized as a risk factor for developing PTSD. Furthermore, other personality characteristics may increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms following a COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to assess personality traits, alexithymia, dissociation, anxiety, and depression in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and the impact of these variables on the presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Five hundred and six participants completed a battery of standardized questionnaires. All the scales used in this study are valid and reliable measures of their respective constructs. Results showed that high levels of alexithymia, dissociation, anxiety, and depression statistically significantly predicted the three main clusters of PTSD symptoms (avoidance, intrusion, and hyperarousal) in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. Furthermore, negative affectivity and psychoticism significantly predicted PTSD symptoms in our sample. Finally, individuals hospitalized by COVID-19 are more at risk of developing intrusion and hyperarousal symptoms than those who never needed hospital care. Our findings are a valuable contribution in identifying the main risk factors of psychological distress related to COVID-19 to address the long-term mental health needs of people who have experienced the disease.

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Sense of Gains and Losses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Study

“…Another interesting approach would be to assess the sense of gains and losses resulting from the experience of pandemic relative to the baseline level of optimism, hope, and sense of meaning in life. It would also be interesting to further discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and sense of changes in life in more fragile populations, such as pregnant women and patients recovered from more severe COVID-19 disease [ 88 , 89 ], due to their specific vulnerability to the negative impact of pandemic on their lives.…”

“…In future research, more detailed information concerning participant lifestyles and changes in their habits (e.g., diet, participation in sport, and addictive behaviours) should be taken into consideration to better comprehend the complex underpinnings of subjective evaluation of one’s own life during the pandemic [ 90 ]. Moreover, comparisons between hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 recovered patients with regard to their sense of gains and losses during lockdown is another interesting area of future study [ 89 ].…”

Prevalence and Predictors of Persistent Symptoms After Clearance of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Multicenter Study from Egypt

“…These neurological disorders are attributed to endothelial injury and microangiopathy, which was described in brain biopsies of severe form of COVID-19. 39 Also, severity of condition and PTSD could be co-factor in neuropsychiatric persistence symptoms, 40 in children it seems similar to the late Kawasaki syndrome that was reported after COVID-19. 41 …”

Acute and delayed psychiatric sequelae among patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a cohort study using LIFE study data

“…For example, we did not have access to the results of pulmonary function tests and therefore could not ascertain disease severity. Studies have reported that long COVID-19 symptoms are more likely to occur in patients who experienced more severe COVID-19 9 12 25. In Japan, patients with COVID-19 with mild disease are usually treated at home or in residential care facilities without medical care, and only those with severe symptoms are hospitalised.…”