Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Symptoms: An Analysis of Cognitive Function, Anxiety, and Depression

Research Objectives: To investigate the cognitive and psychological impact of prolonged symptoms following COVID-19 infection. We hypothesized that individuals with extended post-infection symptoms would exhibit lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and display more symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to those without prolonged symptoms. Additionally, we explored the predictive roles of coping mechanisms, sex, and prolonged COVID-19 symptoms on psychological outcomes.

Design: Cross-sectional design

Setting: Individuals underwent screening as part of the Neuroage-e project's screening campaign, with data collection facilitated through the RedCap platform.The gathered data were exported to SPSS for comprehensive analysis. The screening process for each participant was completed within a duration of approximately 30 minutes.

Participants: Of the 800 individuals, 159 had a history of COVID-19: 120 individuals without prolonged COVID-19 symptoms and 39 individuals experiencing prolonged symptoms and 54 participants were males, and 107 were females, with mean age of 69.3 years (SD=7.45), and the average years of education were 10.04 (SD=3.88).

Interventions: NA

Main Outcome Measures: Was used a comprehensive set of assessments, including the Cope Brief for evaluating coping skills, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to measure depressive symptomatology, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) to assess anxiety symptomatology, and the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening. Additionally, participants were queried about their COVID-19 experience, encompassing aspects such as infection, recovery status, and symptomatology.

Results: MANOVA analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in depression scores (GDS) between groups, F(1,157)=5.306, p=0.023. The group experiencing prolonged symptoms had significantly higher GDS scores (M=4.05) compared to the group without prolonged symptoms (M=2.9). Regarding the other two dependent variables (MMSE and GAI) none of them exhibit statistically significant differences.

Stepwise regression analyses were undertaken to explore the predictive factors influencing depression symptoms (GDS). Three sequential models were assessed, each introducing specific variables (coping mechanisms, sex, and whether an individual experienced prolonged symptom or not). The conclusive model, encompassing all selected variables, sustained statistical significance, F(1, 110) = 2.83, p < .001, R = 0.51, R² = 0.26, R Square Change = 0.019. The cumulative impact of coping mechanisms, sex, and symptom status resulted in a final R square of 0.26, denoting that these variables collectively explained 26% of the variance in GDS scores.

Conclusions: Coping mechanisms, sex, and the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms collectively contribute significantly to the variance in depression scores. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions and support for individuals experiencing prolonged symptoms to mitigate adverse mental health outcomes.

Author(s) Disclosures: Nothing to disclose.