What Is the Role of Psychological Factors in Long COVID Syndrome? Latent Class Analysis in a Sample of Patients Recovered from COVID-19

Giuseppe Craparo (), Valentina Lucia La Rosa, Elena Commodari, Graziella Marino, Michela Vezzoli, Palmira Faraci, Carmelo Mario Vicario, Gabriella Serena Cinà, Morena Colombi, Giuseppe Arcoleo, Maria Severino, Giulia Costanzo, Alessio Gori and Ernesto Mangiapane
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Giuseppe Craparo: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Valentina Lucia La Rosa: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Elena Commodari: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Graziella Marino: IRCCS—Referral Cancer Center of Basilicata (CROB), 85028 Rionero in Vulture, Italy
Michela Vezzoli: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Palmira Faraci: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Carmelo Mario Vicario: Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Gabriella Serena Cinà: Department of Psychology, U.O.C., Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale Trapani, 91100 Trapani, Italy
Morena Colombi: #LongCovid Facebook Group, 00118 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Arcoleo: Pneumology Unit, Cervello Hospital, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Maria Severino: Associazione Orizzonti Onlus, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Giulia Costanzo: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Alessio Gori: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
Ernesto Mangiapane: Associazione Orizzonti Onlus, 90121 Palermo, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Background : This study aimed to identify clusters of long COVID-19 symptoms using latent class analysis and investigate the psychological factors involved in the onset of this syndrome. Method: Five hundred and six subjects recovering from COVID-19 completed a series of standardized questionnaires to evaluate the personality traits, alexithymia, and post-traumatic stress. Results : Five classes were identified: Brain fog (31.82%), No symptoms (20.95%), Sensory disorders (18.77%), Breath impairment (17.59%), and Multiple disorders (10.87%). Women reported post-COVID-19 respiratory symptoms and multiple disorders to a greater extent than men. Hospitalized subjects were more likely to report persistent symptoms after COVID-19 than asymptomatic or home-treated subjects. Antagonism, hyperarousal, and difficulty identifying emotions significantly predicted post COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusions : These findings open new questions for research on long COVID-19 and how states of emotional dysregulation can alter the physiological processes of the body and contribute to the onset of organic pathologies.

Keywords: COVID-19; long COVID-19; emotional dysregulation; trauma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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