Incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Coronavirus Disease

Abstract

Background There was an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Daegu, the Republic of Korea, in 2020. We investigated the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients with COVID-19 who were treated and discharged at a university hospital in Daegu, Korea. Methods A total of 64 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized, treated, and discharged from a university hospital between February and April 2020 participated to our study. We conducted a phone interview and evaluated the presence of PTSD using the PTSD checklist (PCL-5) from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; score range: 0 to 80). If a score ≥ 33 was obtained, then a diagnosis of PTSD was rendered. Results Thirteen patients scored \(\ge\)33 on the PCL-5, which indicated that 20.3% (13/64) of the patients had PTSD. No statistically significant differences in the demographic data, including sex, age, hospitalization time, and duration after discharge, were observed between the patients with PTSD and those without PTSD. Conclusions We found that 20% of patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized, treated, and discharged had PTSD. Accordingly, clinicians should be aware of the high possibility of PTSD among COVID-19 patients and mental health support among the infected patients should be provided.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors during the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Norway

“…Several recent studies have investigated PTSD in the specific context of the coronavirus outbreak. Among patients recovering from the coronavirus disease, the proportion with symptom-defined PTSD have varied between 12.4% and 31.0% [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Liu and co-workers [ 11 ] found that the risk of PTSD was associated with disease severity and perceived stigma related to the disease, whereas Cai and co-workers [ 12 ] found lower PTSD rates among patients over 60 years old.…”

“…As a result, PTSD in the population may be frequent during the pandemic and may be linked to specific concerns related to the COVID-19 context. While several studies have examined PTSD in the coronavirus context [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], many are hampered by relatively small sample sizes and samples representing specific contexts such as hospitals or geographical regions. Moreover, the research focus has largely been placed on infected patients.…”

Knowing Well, Being Well: well-being born of understanding: Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Amid and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A smaller study of 64 COVID-19 patients found that 20.3% met the criteria for PTSD following hospitalization. 44 Since then, a study of the electronic health records of nearly 70 million patients from 54 healthcare organizations in U.S. found that 18.1% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were diagnosed with a psychiatric condition in the 14 to 90 days following COVID-19 diagnosis, including 5.8% who received first-time psychiatric diagnosis. 45 By comparison, less than half the percentage (2.8%) of individuals from a matched cohort of hospitalized influenza patients were diagnosed with a psychiatric condition in the same interval.…”

“…A smaller study of 64 COVID-19 patients found that 20.3% met the criteria for PTSD following hospitalization. 44…”

Post-traumatic symptoms after COVID-19 may (or may not) reflect disease severity

“…Other studies report high frequencies of PTS, but do not clearly describe COVID-19 severity. Wesemann et al ( 2020 ) used the PCL-5 and found significant PTS in 8/19 (42%) COVID-19 patients shortly after their presentation to hospital, whereas Chang and Park ( 2020 ) used the PCL-5 to identify PTS in 13/64 (20%) patients assessed 10 weeks after discharge. Either study neither described COVID-19 severity nor indicated the requirement for critical care.…”