Mental Health Status, Symptoms and Sleep Quality of Patients Hospitalized for Infection with COVID-19

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major problem for public health. The high incidence of post-COVID symptoms continues to be a problem of significance after the pandemic has subsided. Our research aimed to examine the mental health status, post-COVID symptoms, and sleep quality and the factors influencing it among COVID-19-infected people who received hospitalization.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hungary from 01.09.2022 to 01.02.2023 among patients with COVID-19 infection treated at the Infectious Diseases Department of Somogy County Kaposi Mór Teaching Hospital, selected by simple non-random sampling (n=150). The question groups were sociodemographic variables, health behaviour, and vaccination status. The validated questionnaires included Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Descriptive statistical analysis, independent sample t-test, c²-test, ANOVA, and Spearman correlation analysis (p<0.05) were performed using SPSS 26.0 software.

RESULTS: The average age is 52.8 years, and 44% of the respondents did not have a vaccination against COVID-19. The most common post-covid symptoms are fatigue (76.7%), fatigue due to physical exertion (58%), sleep disorders (50.7%) and weakness (46%). 33.3% have mild depression, 14.7% moderate depression, 6.7% moderate depression and 4.7% severe depression. 29.3% had mild anxiety, 10% had moderate anxiety, and 6.7% (10 people) had severe anxiety. 25.3% have moderate sleep disorders. Moderate and severe sleep disorders were significantly (p=0,003) more common in those who had 7 or more post-covid symptoms (39,1%). Moderate/moderately severe/severe depression was significant (p=0,007) among respondents who needed high flow transnasal oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation (41,7%). Moderate and severe sleep disorders were significantly (p=0,003) more common in those who had seven or more post-covid symptoms (39,1%). Mild depression (40,0%) and moderate/moderately severe/severe depression (48,7%) were significantly (p<0,001) common among those with moderate/severe sleep disorders.

CONCLUSIONS: Great emphasis must be placed on rehabilitating patients who have been infected.