Mental Health Symptomatology and Posttraumatic Growth among Those with Multimorbidity in COVID Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Findings from the STRONG Study in Greece

Psychiatry International

Dimitra Laimou¹  Olga Megalakaki²  Konstantinos Kotsis³  Katerina Kavalidou⁴  Dionysia Panagidou⁵ 

[1] CHSSC EA, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80025 Amiens, France;CRP-CPO, University of Picardy Jules Verne (UPJV), 80025 Amiens, France;Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 451 10 Ioannina, Greece;National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland;Psychiatric Department of General Children Hospital of Penteli, 152 36 Athens, Greece;

关键词: anxiety;    COVID-19;    depression;    multimorbidity;    posttraumatic growth;   

DOI  :  10.3390/psychiatryint3010004

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Individuals with physical or mental health conditions represent a vulnerable population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, limited information is available concerning posttraumatic growth and common mental health symptoms of this vulnerable health group during COVID-19. Methods: An online cross-sectional study (STRONG study; psychological changes and effects after COVID-19 quarantine in Greece) was conducted from 28 September 2020 (no lockdown restrictions) to 2 November 2020, just before the second lockdown in Greece. Main outcomes were depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as posttraumatic growth. Results: A total of 860 adults participated in the study. A high proportion of participants did not report any pre-existing health condition (61%), while 334 individuals reported one or more physical or mental health conditions. Overall, 20.2% of the participants reported significant depressive symptoms, and 27.9% reported moderate to high posttraumatic growth. The presence of physical and mental health conditions, either as single diagnosis or as a multimorbidity, was significantly associated with the development of depressive symptomatology (either physical or mental health conditions: OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07–1.17, p < 0.001; both physical and mental health conditions: OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.14–1.33, p < 0.001). Posttraumatic growth did not differ between those with or without any pre-existing health issue. Conclusions: Although having a physical or/and a mental health condition predicted the development of depressive symptomatology in a post-lockdown period, the presence of pre-existing conditions was not associated with posttraumatic growth development. Clinicians should be aware of depressive symptoms among their multimorbid patients, even after exiting lockdown.

【 授权许可】

Unknown