Search

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hospitalization has been related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Available information is limited by insufficient follow-up and lack of longitudinal studies. Baseline factors (e.g., sex; obesity) have been related to PTSD, but post-hospitalization factors have not been studied. Objective: This study aimed to analyse prevalence, baseline, post-discharge factors and possible clinical courses of PTSD after hospitalization for COVID-19. Method: 109 patients (94.7% of the original sample) completed a programme of three follow-up telephone assessments during the year following hospitalization. Data included clinical and sociodemographic factors as well as psychometric tools assessing PTSD, social support, and perception of threat to life (PTL). Mixture model analysis was performed to study the longitudinal course of PTSD symptoms. Chronic (>6 months) PTSD predictors were also analysed. Results: 1-year PTSD period prevalence was 23.9%, peaking at six months; 11% of the patients suffered chronic PTSD. Pre- and post-hospitalization factors influenced the onset and course of PTSD over time. These included working status, PTL, and lack of social support. Interestingly, obesity, pulmonary diseases and family cluster infection seem specifically related to PTSD following COVID-19. Inversely, clinical interventions, older age and male gender were protective. Conclusions: PTSD following COVID-19 hospitalization is common. The analysed demographic, social, clinical, and psychological factors predict PTSD symptomatology over time and can modify odds of a chronic course. Clinicians could better identify cases at risk of a chronic PTSD course. Finally, treatment as usual appeared related to a better outcome and should be proposed to patients with PTSD.

Lockdown measures have obvious psychological impacts, which could, in turn, increase cardiovascular risk. We assessed the association between lockdown-related factors and the worsening of cardiovascular risk, incident anxiety and depression during 12 months' follow-up. During lockdown (April-May 2020), 534 subjects, aged 50-89 years, were included in the PSYCOV-CV study (NCT04397835) and followed for up to 12 months post-lockdown. We found that participants with symptoms of depression during lockdown were more likely to report increased cardiovascular drug treatment (Odds-Ratio (OR) = 5.08 (1.78-14.5), p = 0.002), decreased physical activity (OR = 1.76 (1.10-2.82), p = 0.019) and weight gain (OR = 1.85 (1.08-3.17), p = 0.024) after lockdown. Moreover, changes in sleep patterns (OR = 2.35 (1.13-4.88), p = 0.022) or living in a rural area during lockdown (OR = 1.70 (0.96-3.03, p = 0.069) were associated with higher incident depression, whereas a better relationship with one's partner during lockdown was associated with less incident depression (OR = 0.56 (0.29-1.08), p = 0.084). Finally, we found that continuing to work during lockdown in a role requiring in-person contact with the public (such as cashiers, nurses or physicians) was associated with more incident anxiety after lockdown (OR = 3.38 (1.12-10.2), p = 0.031). Interestingly, decreased consumption of alcohol during lockdown was associated with less incident anxiety (OR = 0.30 (0.10-0.90), p = 0.032). Our study, conducted in a representative sample of an age group at increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and severe COVID-19, increases the understanding of modifiable factors associated with the health impacts of lockdown measures.