Associations between Depression and Self-Reported COVID-19 Symptoms among Adults: Results from Two Population-Based Seroprevalence Studies in Switzerland

Giovanni Piumatti; Rebecca Amati; Aude Richard; Hélène Baysson; Marianna Purgato; Idris Guessous; Silvia Stringhini; Emiliano Albanese; SEROCoV-POP; Specchio-Covid Study Group; The Corona Immunitas Ticino Working Group

doi:10.3390/ijerph192416696

Associations between Depression and Self-Reported COVID-19 Symptoms among Adults: Results from Two Population-Based Seroprevalence Studies in Switzerland

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 12;19(24):16696. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416696.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Fondazione Agnelli, 10125 Turin, Italy.
² Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
³ Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁴ Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ Section of Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
⁷ Cochrane Global Mental Health, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy.

Abstract

(1) Mental health may modulate the perceived risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, it is unclear how psychological symptoms may distort symptom perception of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assessed whether depressive symptoms predicted self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, independently of serologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. (2) Participants (aged 20-64) in the Geneva (N = 576) and Ticino (N = 581) Swiss regions completed the Patient Health Questionnaire before being tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and recalled COVID-19-compatible symptoms on two occasions: April-July 2020 (baseline), and January-February 2021 (follow-up). We estimated prevalence ratios for COVID-19 symptoms by depression scores in interaction with serological status. (3) At baseline, in Geneva, higher depression predicted higher probability of reporting systemic, upper airways, and gastro-intestinal symptoms, and fever and/or cough; in Ticino, higher depression predicted systemic, upper airways, and gastro-intestinal symptoms, fever and/or cough, dyspnea, and headache. At follow-up, in Geneva, higher depression predicted higher probability of reporting systemic symptoms and dyspnea; in Ticino, higher depression predicted higher probability of reporting systemic and upper airways symptoms, dyspnea and headache (all p values < 0.05). (4) We found positive associations between depressive symptoms and COVID-19-compatible symptoms, independently of seropositivity. Mental wellbeing has relevant public health implications because it modulates self-reported infection symptoms that inform testing, self-medication, and containment measures, including quarantine and isolation.

Keywords: COVID-19; depressive symptoms; population-based observational study; seropositivity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Antibodies, Viral
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cough
Depression / epidemiology
Headache
Humans
SARS-CoV-2
Self Report
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Switzerland / epidemiology

Substances

Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

The SEROCoV-POP and the Specchio-COVID19 studies were funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, the General Directorate of Health of the Department of Safety, Employment and Health of the canton of Geneva, the Private Foundation of the Geneva University Hospitals, the Swiss School of Public Health (Corona Immunitas Research Program) and the Fondation des Grangettes. The Corona Immunitas Ticino study was funded by the Swiss School of Public Health through Corona Immunitas, which is a public-private partnership supported by the Federal Office of Public Health, various cantons, companies, and private individuals, and in part by Ceresio Foundation.