Acute and longer-term psychological distress associated with testing positive for COVID-19: longitudinal evidence from a population-based study of US adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has produced a considerable public health burden but the impact that contracting the disease has on mental health is unclear. In this observational population-based cohort study, we examined longitudinal changes in psychological distress associated with testing positive for COVID-19.

Methods

Participants (N = 8,002; Observations = 139,035) were drawn from 23 waves of the Understanding America Study, a nationally representative survey of American adults followed-up every two weeks from April 1 2020 to February 15 2021. Psychological distress was assessed using the standardized total score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4).

Results

Over the course of the study 576 participants reported testing positive for COVID-

SUBMITTER: Daly M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8010753 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature