Long term impact of Covid-19 infection on sleep and mental health: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The long-term impact of the COVID-19 infection on mental health in people and its relation to the severity is unclear. We aimed to study the long-term effect of post-COVID-19 disease on sleep and mental health and to detect possible relationship between severity of COVID-19 at onset and sleep and mental illness. We enrolled 182 participants 6 months post COVID-19 infection and grouped into non-severe(101),severe(60) and critical(20) according to according to WHO guidance. All participants were assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ", Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5, and Symptom Checklist90 test. Only 8.8% had no psychiatric symptoms while 91.2% had psychiatric symptoms as follow (poor sleep (64.8%), PTSD (28.6%), somatization (41.8%), obsessive-compulsive (OCD) (19.8%), depression (11.5%), anxiety (28%), phobic-anxiety (24.2%), psychoticism (17.6%)). Diabetes, oxygen support or mechanically ventilated were a risk for sleep impairment, while high Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was the only risk factor for PTSD. Other psychiatric illnesses had several risk factors: being female, diabetes, oxygen support or mechanically ventilated. Abnormal sleep, somatization and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses in Post-Covid19. The critical group is common associated with PTSD, anxiety, and psychosis. Being female, diabetic, having oxygen support or mechanically ventilated, and high NLR level are more vulnerable for mental illness in post COVID19.

Kognitive Störungen und Schlafstörungen bei Long-COVID

“…Eine systematische, 39 Kohortenstudien umfassende Metaanalyse über persistierende Beschwerden im Langzeitverlauf nach COVID-19 berichtet eine Prävalenz für Schlafstörungen von 36 % für die ersten 3 Monate und 33 % für den Zeitraum ab 3 Monaten bis zu etwas über einem halben Jahr [ 41 ]. Studien, die zur Quantifizierung insomnischer Beschwerden Fragebögen wie den Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) oder den Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) einsetzten, kommen zu ähnlichen Ergebnissen [ 42 – 44 ]. Während die Mehrheit der Studien sich auf die Nachbeobachtung von ehemals stationär behandelten Patientenkohorten bezieht, berichten Studien in Patientenkohorten mit mildem Krankheitsverlauf ähnliche Prävalenzen von etwas über 30 % [ 21 , 45 ].…”

Syncytin, envelope protein of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV): no longer ‘fossil’ in human genome

“…A follow-up study after 6 months of diagnosis of 182 COVID-19 patients show that 91.2% of the patients had psychiatric symptoms, such as poor sleep (64.8%), PTSD (28.6%), somatization (41.8%), obsessive-compulsive (19.8%), depression (11.5%), anxiety (28%), phobic-anxiety (24.2%) and psychoticism (17.6%) (Ahmed et al 2021 ). The critical group regarding the severity of COVID-19 infection presents the highest percentages of PTSD, anxiety, and psychosis.…”

Restless legs syndrome is associated with long-COVID in women

“…(15) An Egyptian study of 182 participants at 6 months post COVID-19 infection utilized the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. (16) Poor sleep was found in 65% of the participants and the risk factors included a history of diabetes, oxygen support, and mechanical ventilation. At 6 months after the infection, fatigue or muscle weakness and sleep difficulties were the main symptoms of patients who had recovered from COVID-19.…”