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Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms among COVID-19 survivors in Tunis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

S. Ajmi*
Affiliation:
CHU Hedi Chaker, Psychiatry, sfax, Tunisia
R. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
Hospital Hédi Chaker, Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
R. Sallemi
Affiliation:
Hospital university of HEDI CHAKER, Psychiatry A Department, Sfax, Tunisia
I. Feki
Affiliation:
CHU Hedi Chaker, Psychiatry, sfax, Tunisia
J. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
CHU Hedi Chaker, Psychiatry, sfax, Tunisia Hospital university of HEDI CHAKER, Psychiatry A Department, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

In addition to physical problems, patients with COVID-19 suffer from considerable stress throughout the disease crisis and could present psychiatric consequences even after their remission.

Objectives

To assess anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms among patients who had recovered from the acute COVID-19 infection in Tunisia.

Methods

A cross-sectional design included 50Tunisian adults who survived COVID-19 virus infection.Participants have been screened with a telephone interview 1 to 3 months after a diagnosis of COVID-19. We used a questionnaire including socio-psychological variables,presence of close relatives being infected, bereavement due to COVID-19 and post infection physical discomforts.The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to investigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Depression and anxiety were measured using The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS).

Results

The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 86 years.38%were female. Twelve percent (12%) of patients required hospitalization during COVID-19 infection. After a mean of 86.60 days (SD = 23) following the diagnosis, 28 % of patients reported clinically significant PTSD. The rates of depression and anxiety disorders in our population are 20% and 30%, respectively. Seventy percent of patients (70%) reported one or more post infection physical discomforts that the most common symptoms included Difficulty breathing and anosmia. Patients with PTSD, depression or anxiety had a more frequent history of a relative diagnosed positive for corona virus, a longer duration of infection, and more frequently post-infection physical discomfort

Conclusions

Long-term psychological impact of COVID19 should not be ignored and mental health care could play an important role in rehabilitation.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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