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Observational Study
. 2023 Jan;104(1):11-17.
doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.09.013. Epub 2022 Oct 4.

Psychological and Cognitive Functioning Among Patients Receiving Outpatient Rehabilitation for Post-COVID Sequelae: An Observational Study

Benjamin A Abramoff  1 , Timothy R Dillingham  1 , Lily A Brown  2 , Franklin Caldera  1 , Katherine M Caldwell  1 , Mitra McLarney  1 , Emily L McGinley  3 , Liliana E Pezzin  4
Affiliations
Observational Study

Psychological and Cognitive Functioning Among Patients Receiving Outpatient Rehabilitation for Post-COVID Sequelae: An Observational Study

Benjamin A Abramoff et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of individuals receiving outpatient rehabilitation for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Further, to examine factors associated with variation in their psychological and cognitive functioning and health-related quality of life.

Design: Observational study.

Setting: Outpatient COVID-19 recovery clinic at a large, tertiary, urban health system in the US.

Participants: COVID-19 survivors with persistent sequelae (N=324).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to examine factors associated with COVID survivors' experience of severe anxiety, severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive impairment, and self-reported health-related quality of life.

Results: About 38% of survivors seeking care for their persistent COVID symptoms suffered from severe anxiety, 31.8% from severe depression, 43% experiencing moderate to severe PTSD symptomology, and 17.5% had cognitive impairment. Their health-related quality of life was substantially lower than that of the general population (-26%) and of persons with other chronic conditions. Poor and African American/Black individuals experienced worse psychological and cognitive sequelae after COVID19 infection, even after controlling for age, sex, initial severity of the acute infection, and time since diagnosis.

Conclusions: Evidence of consistent disparities in outcomes by the patients' race and socioeconomic status, even among those with access to post-acute COVID rehabilitation care, are concerning and have significant implications for PASC policy and program development.

Keywords: COVID-19; Disabled persons; Health care; Outcome assessment; Rehabilitation.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Distribution of patients by time since COVID-19 diagnosis. NOTE: Vertical orange line indicates tertile thresholds.
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