The findings of a new population survey published in BJPsych Open suggest that more than a third of COVID-19 survivors who had received ventilator support in hospital experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Researchers at the Imperial College London and the University of Southampton surveyed 13,049 patients in the UK with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The respondents answered 10 questions on symptoms of PTSD, most relevant to COVID-19.
Forty-one per cent of all respondents reported that at least one symptom of PTSD applied ‘extremely’ to them. Thirty-five per cent of patients who received ventilation in hospital reported extensive symptoms of PTSD (consistent with all 10 symptoms to some degree) versus 18 per cent of hospitalised patients who did not require ventilator support.
Patients who received medical assistance at home and those who did not need assistance at home but experienced breathing problems reported lower levels of PTSD symptoms (16% and 11%, respectively).
Professor Sam Chamberlain, from the University of Southampton, said in a press release: “This study adds to mounting evidence linking COVID-19 to population-level negative mental health effects and shows that these can be measured conveniently in the general population using innovative digital methodologies.”
