Stölting Andrea, Schröder Dominik, Schmachtenberg Tim, Schimansky Inga, Yaqubi-Naqizadah Massa, Klemann Christian, Rebmann Franziska, Mikuteit Marie, Steffens Sandra, Behrens Georg M N, Klawonn Frank, Dopfer-Jablonka Alexandra, Müller Frank, Happle Christine
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Department of General Practice University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Brain Behav Immun Health. 2025 Jul 21;48:101069. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101069. eCollection 2025 Oct.
Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) affects approximately 6-10 % of COVID-19 survivors, with complex clinical manifestations and poorly understood pathophysiological mechanisms. While childhood trauma is known to impact long-term health outcomes, its influence on PCS and associated quality of life remains unclear.
In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 641 participants (487 with PCS, 154 without) through the DEFEAT online platform. Childhood trauma was assessed using the Child Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF). Depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life were evaluated using PHQ-9, GAD-7, and EQ-5D-3L. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed.
Overall, 38.8 % of participants reported at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). Emotional abuse was significantly more frequent in PCS patients compared to controls (21.1 % vs. 12.3 %, p = 0.02). PCS patients showed significantly higher rates of depression (18.9 % vs. 7.1 %, p < 0.001) and anxiety (23.8 % vs. 14.3 %, p = 0.004) compared to non-PCS participants. Health-related quality of life was significantly lower in PCS patients (median 64.9 vs. 90.2, p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, and educational level, childhood trauma was associated with increased depression and anxiety specifically in PCS patients.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that childhood trauma significantly impacts mental health outcomes and quality of life in PCS patients. The strong association between childhood trauma and adverse mental health outcomes specifically in PCS patients highlights the importance of trauma-informed care approaches. These results emphasize the need for targeted screening and personalized interventions addressing both physiological and psychological aspects of PCS recovery in patients with childhood trauma history.
新冠后综合征（PCS）影响约6%-10%的新冠幸存者，临床表现复杂，病理生理机制尚不清楚。虽然已知童年创伤会影响长期健康结果，但其对PCS及相关生活质量的影响仍不明确。
在这项横断面研究中，我们通过DEFEAT在线平台分析了641名参与者（487名患有PCS，154名未患）的数据。使用儿童创伤问卷简表（CTQ-SF）评估童年创伤。使用PHQ-9、GAD-7和EQ-5D-3L评估抑郁、焦虑和与健康相关的生活质量。进行了单因素和多因素分析。
总体而言，38.8%的参与者报告至少有一次童年不良经历（ACE）。与对照组相比，PCS患者的情感虐待明显更频繁（21.1%对12.3%，p = 0.02）。与未患PCS的参与者相比，PCS患者的抑郁率（18.9%对7.1%，p < 0.001）和焦虑率（23.8%对14.3%，p = 0.004）明显更高。PCS患者与健康相关的生活质量明显更低（中位数64.9对90.2，p < 0.001）。在调整年龄、性别和教育水平后，童年创伤与抑郁和焦虑增加相关，特别是在PCS患者中。
讨论/结论：我们的研究结果表明，童年创伤对PCS患者的心理健康结果和生活质量有显著影响。童年创伤与不良心理健康结果之间的强烈关联，特别是在PCS患者中，凸显了创伤知情护理方法的重要性。这些结果强调了对有童年创伤史的患者进行针对性筛查和个性化干预的必要性，以解决PCS恢复的生理和心理方面问题。
