Simonetti Alessio, Bernardi Evelina, Margoni Stella, Catinari Antonello, Restaino Antonio, Ieritano Valentina, Palazzetti Marta, Mastrantonio Federico, Janiri Delfina, Tosato Matteo, Landi Francesco, Sani Gabriele
Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Brain Sci. 2023 Apr 20;13(4):688. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13040688.
The relationship between depression and post-COVID-19 disease syndrome (post-COVID-19 syndrome) is established. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the association between post-COVID-19 syndrome and mixed depression, i.e., a specific sub-form of depression characterized by high level of excitatory symptoms. Aims of the present study are: (a) to compare the post-COVID-19 syndrome's burden in depressed and non-depressed patients, and (b) to investigate the correlation between post-COVID-19 syndrome's burden and the severity of mixed depression. One thousand and forty six (n = 1460) subjects with post-COVID-19 syndrome were assessed. Subjects were divided into those with (DEP) or without (CONT) depression. Sociodemographically, post-COVID-19 syndrome's symptoms number and type were compared. In DEP, association between levels of excitatory symptoms and the presence of post-COVID-19 syndrome's symptoms were additionally assessed. DEP showed greater percentages of family history of psychiatric disorders than CONT. DEP showed higher percentages of post-COVID-19 symptoms than CONT. A greater level of excitatory symptoms were associated to higher frequencies of post-COVID-19 syndrome' symptoms. Higher levels of post-COVID-19 syndrome's symptoms in DEP corroborate the evidence of a common pathway between these two syndromes. Presence of excitatory symptoms seem to additionally add a greater illness burden. Such findings might help clinicians choose the appropriate treatment for such states. More specifically, therapies aimed to treat excitatory symptoms, such as antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, might help reduce the illness burden in post-COVID-19 patients with mixed depression.
抑郁症与新冠后疾病综合征（新冠后综合征）之间的关系已得到证实。然而，很少有研究调查新冠后综合征与混合性抑郁症之间的关联，混合性抑郁症是抑郁症的一种特定亚型，其特征是兴奋性症状水平较高。本研究的目的是：（a）比较抑郁症患者和非抑郁症患者中新冠后综合征的负担，以及（b）研究新冠后综合征负担与混合性抑郁症严重程度之间的相关性。对1460名患有新冠后综合征的受试者进行了评估。受试者被分为患有抑郁症（DEP）或未患有抑郁症（CONT）的两组。在社会人口统计学方面，比较了新冠后综合征的症状数量和类型。在DEP组中，还评估了兴奋性症状水平与新冠后综合征症状存在之间的关联。DEP组中精神疾病家族史的比例高于CONT组。DEP组中新冠后症状的比例高于CONT组。较高水平的兴奋性症状与新冠后综合征症状的较高频率相关。DEP组中较高水平的新冠后综合征症状证实了这两种综合征之间存在共同途径的证据。兴奋性症状的存在似乎还会增加更大的疾病负担。这些发现可能有助于临床医生为这些状态选择合适的治疗方法。更具体地说，旨在治疗兴奋性症状的疗法，如抗精神病药物和心境稳定剂，可能有助于减轻患有混合性抑郁症的新冠后患者的疾病负担。
