Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression one year after intensive care unit admission for COVID-19

Netha Hussain; Carina M Samuelsson; Avril Drummond; Carina U Persson

doi:10.1186/s12888-024-05603-8

Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression one year after intensive care unit admission for COVID-19

BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Mar 1;24(1):170. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05603-8.

Authors

Netha Hussain¹, Carina M Samuelsson², Avril Drummond³, Carina U Persson^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
⁴ Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden. carina.persson@neuro.gu.se.
⁵ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Neurosicence and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden. carina.persson@neuro.gu.se.

Abstract

Background: To the best of our knowledge, the long term prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in ICU admitted individuals after COVID-19 in Sweden during the first wave of the pandemic has not been investigated. Furthermore, no studies have exclusively investigated the risk factors for experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression in this population.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression at one year after ICU admission for COVID-19. An additional aim was to identify any early predictors that are associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, at one year following ICU admission for COVID-19.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study had a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design. The primary outcomes and dependent variables, symptoms of anxiety and depression, were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The independent variables were related to demographic factors, comorbidities, and complications during COVID-19-related ICU admission. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify any predictors of symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Results: Out of 182 eligible individuals, 105 participated in the study. Symptoms of anxiety was found in 40 (38.1%) and depression in 37 (35.2%) of the participants. Using univariable logistic regression analyses, female sex was identified as a predictor of depression as defined by HADS at one year following ICU admission for COVID-19 (odds ratio 2.53, 95% confidence intervals 1.01-6.34, p-value 0.048).

Conclusions: The high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in ICU admitted individuals one year after COVID-19 is a public health issue of concern. Our findings imply that individuals who recovered after an ICU stay for COVID-19 may benefit from long-term follow-ups and continuous mental health support for more than a year following the ICU admission. For women specifically, this is true.

Trial registration: The study was registered at researchweb.org on 28 May 2020 (Project number: 274477).

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Intensive care unit; Patient reported outcome measure.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Anxiety / psychology
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression / psychology
Female
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Prevalence
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / psychology