The spectrum and severity of psychopathological symptoms in previously healthy individuals who have had severe COVID-19 pneumonia

Belokrylov, I.; Kotovskaya, N.; Deryugina, N.; Izyumov, A.; Eruslanova, K.; Balaeva, M.

IntroductionThe medical novelty of COVID-19 requires a comprehensive study of its impact on various areas of human health, including mental health.ObjectivesTo study the spectrum and severity of psychopathological disorders in previously healthy patients of different age groups who have had moderate and severe COVID-19 pneumonia.MethodsImmediately after stabilization of the physical condition, patients completed the Symptom Checklist-90-R, designed to assess 11 parameters: somatization (SOM), obsessive-compulsive (OS), interpersonal sensitivity (INT), depression (DEP), anxiety (ANX), hostility (HOS), phobic anxiety (PHOB), paranoid ideas (PAR), psychoticism (PSY). Patients with cognitive impairment were excluded.ResultsThe study involved 148 patients aged from 26 to 84 years. In the general sample, psychopathological symptoms were detected mainly on the SOM, DEP, ANX, HOS scales. To a lesser extent - on the INT and PAR scales;were practically not determined on the PSY and PHOB scales. Most of the symptoms are significantly more intense in patients over 46 years old (n = 129) compared with the younger population (<46 years old, n = 19). Older patients according to SOM revealed 1.23 points (IQR 0.5) versus 0.85 (IQR 0.7) among young people, DEP - 0.88 (IQR 0.44) vs. 0.47 (IQR 0.44), ANX - 0.66 (IQR 0.44) vs. 0.43 (IQR 0.29), OS - 0.55 (IQR 0.5) vs. 0.31 (IQR 0.25) and HOS - 0.46 (IQR 0.34) vs. 0.29 (IQR 0.09).ConclusionsPatients recovering from severe COVID-19 pneumonia require psychiatric evaluation and subsequent differentiated psychotherapeutic rehabilitation, especially for the age group over 46.Conflict of interestNo significant relationships.