Asthma patients experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Population studies showed a decrease in psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma is associated with a negative effect on anxiety and depression, which might worsen during the COVID-19 lockdown. The aim of the study was to compare fear, anxiety and depression between asthma patients and patients wit hout asthma pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic. This study compares fear, anxiety and depression in asthma patients and controls between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 lockdown with a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were invited to fill out several questionnaires pertaining to fear, anxiety, depression, asthma control and quality of life. Asthma patients (N = 37) displayed, during the course of the pandemic, a clinically relevant increase in anxiety (3.32 ± 2.95 vs. 6.68 ± 3.78; p < 0.001) and depression (1.30 ± 1.15 vs. 3.65 ± 3.31; p < 0.001), according to the hospital anxiety and depression levels (HADS) compared to pre-COVID-19 assessment. This was not seen in controls. Also, asthma patients displayed more anxiety about acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls ((5.11 ± 1.99 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79), p = 0.006). Patients with asthma experienced an increase in anxiety and depression levels and were more afraid of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Also, patients with asthma were more likely to avoid healthcare facilities due to fear of acquiring COVID-19 disease compared to controls. Therefore, we advise health care workers to address these possible negative effects on mental health by phone or e-consults.

Analysis of Quality of Life and Mental Health in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis, Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Using a Nation-wide Database, KNHANES VII

“…Especially in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic era, mental health problems have emerged as a substantial issue in allergic disease patients. 33 34…”

Biologicals decrease psychological distress, anxiety and depression in severe asthma, despite Covid-19 pandemic

“…In this study, we observed a large sample of 90 patients that had only severe asthma and who had started their treatment with biologics before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and completed 16 weeks of treatment during the pandemic. Previous studies have so far shown that the pandemic has resulted in high psychological distress and symptoms of anxiety and depression, even among patients with severe asthma, which was not present in non-asthmatic individuals [ 29 , 30 ]. We used a qualitative interview based on 4 questions, that was administered to our asthmatic patients being treated with biologics, to explore the impact of Covid-19 on severe asthma.…”

“…Previous studies have already documented a significant increase in patients with asthma at risk of experiencing depressive symptoms, insomnia, perceived stress, post-traumatic stress disorder [ [25] , [26] , [27] ], and that longer lasting psychological distress and depression are the risk factors for respiratory tract infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus [ 28 ]. Recent studies show an increase in anxiety and depression during Covid-19 in asthmatic patients, which was not present in non-asthmatic individuals [ 29 , 30 ]. Therefore, the final data suggest that it is essential to assess and to manage psychological distress among patients with asthma in order to reduce the risk of disease exacerbation and to improve their quality of life.…”

Prevalence of and factors associated with COVID-19 diagnosis in symptomatic patients followed in general practices in Germany between March 2020 and March 2021

“…That being said, there is an overlap in the symptoms of COVID-19, asthma, and chronic sinusitis, and, for example, the prevalence of COVID-19 has been found to be significantly lower in asthma patients with suspected COVID-19 than in their counterparts without asthma (Cao et al, 2021). Moreover, as fear of being diagnosed with COVID-19 is relatively common in individuals with asthma or other conditions affecting the airway (de Boer et al, 2021;Mousing and Sørensen, 2021), adherence to preventive measures may be higher in these individuals than in the general population. A cross-sectional study including 2,372 young adults from Mexico 14 indicated that adherence to guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 was significantly higher in those with (69.2%) than in those without asthma (43.8%) (Vázquez-Nava et al, 2020).…”