Mertens Svenja, Nienhaus Albert, Peters Claudia, Koch-Gromus Uwe
Institut und Poliklinik für Medizinische Psychologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Institut für Versorgungsforschung in der Dermatologie und bei Pflegeberufen (IVDP), Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2024 Nov;67(11):1239-1247. doi: 10.1007/s00103-024-03953-y. Epub 2024 Sep 27.
Fatigue is one of the most frequent symptoms in post-COVID syndrome (PCS) patients and describes a long-term feeling of tiredness and exhaustion. Frequently, it follows an infection or is a component of depressive symptoms. But fatigue itself is also a risk to mental health like other chronic conditions. The objective of this paper was to analyse the relationship between fatigue and depression/anxiety and the differences between PCS patients and fully recovered COVID-19 cases.
In a longitudinal study with three measurement points, insured members of the Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Service with a SARS-CoV‑2 infection in 2020 were asked about fatigue, depression/anxiety and persisting COVID-19 symptoms. To analyse the longitudinal effects of the two variables, a cross-lagged panel model was applied.
In the present sample (n = 860), a proportion of 68.7% to 75.1% of people was suffering from PCS. The results showed a model fit of R = 61.49% and all effects were significant, but the cross-lagged effects were not significantly different from each other. If stratified according to whether PCS symptoms were present, the cross-lagged effects weakened in both groups, while the effects of fatigue on depression and anxiety only remained in the group of those affected by PCS.
The results show a relationship in both directions between fatigue and depression/anxiety. PCS patients can benefit from psychotherapeutic treatment to tackle fatigue and prevent depression and anxiety.
疲劳是新冠后综合征（PCS）患者最常见的症状之一，指长期的疲倦和疲惫感。它常继发于感染或为抑郁症状的一部分。但疲劳本身像其他慢性病一样也是心理健康的一个风险因素。本文的目的是分析疲劳与抑郁/焦虑之间的关系以及PCS患者与完全康复的新冠病例之间的差异。
在一项有三个测量点的纵向研究中，对2020年感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的法定事故保险和健康与福利服务预防机构的参保成员询问了疲劳、抑郁/焦虑和持续的新冠症状情况。为分析这两个变量的纵向影响，应用了交叉滞后面板模型。
在当前样本（n = 860）中，68.7%至75.1%的人患有PCS。结果显示模型拟合度R = 61.49%，所有效应均显著，但交叉滞后效应彼此无显著差异。若根据是否存在PCS症状进行分层，两组的交叉滞后效应均减弱，而疲劳对抑郁和焦虑的影响仅在受PCS影响的组中存在。
结果显示疲劳与抑郁/焦虑在两个方向上均存在关联。PCS患者可从心理治疗中受益，以应对疲劳并预防抑郁和焦虑。
