Anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders in post-COVID-19: A Tunisian study

Objectives. - Our study aimed to assess anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify associated factors. Patients and methods. - Our study is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study carried out during the period from March 1 to May 15th 2021 on patients who were hospitalized and discharged from the COVID-19 unit in the pneumology department at the Hedi Chaker hospital in Sfax (Tunisia). Patients who met all of the following criteria were included: aged 18 and over; having a diagnosis of COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or by CT scan; monitored at the COVID-19 unit and who their clinical conditions did not require intensive care; survivors after 3 months of discharge; and having given their informed and informal consent to participate in the study. Results. - Our study included 154 patients. The prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder was 24.7%, 11% and 13.6% respectively. We found an association between depression and female gender (P = 0.025), gastrointestinal involvement (P = 0.002) and stigma (P = 0.002). We found an association between anxiety and grade level (P = 0.034), and between anxiety and asthenia (P = 0.032). Conclusions. - Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder were independent of the majority of disease characteristics including the severity of COVID-19. (c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.