Depressive symptoms, insomnia and dyspnea in COVID-19 survivors: a tunisian study

Abstract

Introduction The coronavirus infection emerging in 2019 caused a plethora of physical and mental health problems around the world. Recent studies showed a persistent psychological distress even after few months of the infection. Objectives To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms, insomnia and dyspnea among covid-19 survivors. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study including 121 Tunisian COVID-19 inpatients who had been discharged alive from hospital. Each enrolled patient was asked about the period before the hospital stay, and the 6-9 month-period after hospital discharge. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms. We assessed insomnia via the insomnia severity index (ISI) and dyspnea through the mMRC (modified British Medical Research Council). Results The median age of participants was 59 years. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and insomnia increased significantly after the pandemic (5.7% vs 57.9%, p=0.038, r=0.189; and 4.9% vs 26.4%; p<0.0001, r=0.349 respectively). Younger patients presented more depressive symptoms (p<0.0001). females were more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms (p<0.0001). Dyspnea was more prevalent among survivors with depressive symptoms (p=0.001). Patients with depressive symptoms exhibited more insomnia (p<0.0001). Conclusions The pandemic of covid19 emerged a wide range of physical and mental health problems with complex physiopathology. The early detection of these disorders improves the quality of life of these patients. Disclosure of Interest None Declared