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 (), Specchio-COVID19 Study Group and the Corona Immunitas Ticino Working Group
Additional contact information
Giovanni Piumatti: Fondazione Agnelli, 10125 Turin, Italy
Rebecca Amati: Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
Aude Richard: Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Hélène Baysson: Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
Marianna Purgato: 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
Idris Guessous: Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
Silvia Stringhini: Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
Emiliano Albanese: Institute of Public Health, Faculty of BioMedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
Specchio-COVID19 Study Group: Specchio-COVID19 Study Group and the Corona Immunitas Ticino Working Group are listed in Acknowledgments.
the Corona Immunitas Ticino Working Group: Specchio-COVID19 Study Group and the Corona Immunitas Ticino Working Group are listed in Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-17

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; seropositivity; population-based observational study (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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