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. 2024 Oct;40(5):e3446.
doi: 10.1002/smi.3446. Epub 2024 Jul 17.

Having any mental health condition before the COVID-19 pandemic as a risk factor of COVID-19 contagion during the first year of pandemic: A Spanish adult cohort

Sheila Lopez-Romeo  1   2 , Susana Subira-Alvarez  2 , Andrea Miranda-Mendizabal  3 , Jorge Piqueras-Marques  4 , Raquel Leal-Pujol  4 , Silvia Recoder  5 , Esther Calbo  4   6 , Marc Casajuana-Closas  7 , Carlos G Forero  4 , Pere Castellvi  4
Affiliations

Having any mental health condition before the COVID-19 pandemic as a risk factor of COVID-19 contagion during the first year of pandemic: A Spanish adult cohort

Sheila Lopez-Romeo et al. Stress Health. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Numerous studies suggest that subjects suffering from a mental health condition before the COVID-19 pandemic were at higher risk of contagion, but mostly are cross-sectional or retrospective. The BIOVAL-D-COVID-19 is a longitudinal cohort study design with 922 subjects who full filled two evaluations from an online survey of Spanish residents before and during the pandemic. Mental health conditions assessed were: Major Depressive Episode (MDE), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours (STB) and subthreshold of panic and bipolar disorder (BD). Mental health screening instruments used were: the Spanish version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0 for the evaluation of MDE, the GAD-7 scale to evaluate GAD; STB was evaluated with four items from the CIDI questionnaire. Panic Disorder and BD were screened from a modified and self-reported version of the CIDI. A bivariate plus five logistic regression models were developed for each mental health condition adjusted by socio-demographic variables; employment status; general and physical health; comorbidity; and including all previous variables and the other mental health conditions. We found in bivariate model that MDE; GAD and STB were statistically significant risk factors of contagion of COVID-19. The logistic regression models developed reveal that having a previous GAD (aOR 3.30 1.31-8.31) or STB (aOR 2.16 CI 95% 1.01-4.62) was statistically significant associated with COVID-19 contagion, independently of all variables included. MDE was not a risk factor of contagion when it was adjusted by comorbidity (aOR 0.99 CI 95% 0.47-2.09). It is recommended to detect those subjects with previous GAD or STB as vulnerable groups of infection to reduce contagion rates.

Keywords: COVID‐19; depression; generalised anxiety disorder; mental health; suicide.

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