Faculty Collaboration Database

Short-term impact of COVID-19 on quality of life, perceived stress, and serious psychological distress in an adult population in the midwest United States. Qual Life Res 2022 Aug;31(8):2387-2396

Date

01/13/2022

Pubmed ID

35020111

Pubmed Central ID

PMC8753941

DOI

10.1007/s11136-022-03081-7

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85122796393 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   9 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate changes over time in quality of life, perceived stress, and serious psychological distress for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in an urban academic health system.

METHODS: Phone-based surveys were completed with adult patients tested for COVID-19 during emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or outpatient visits at the Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network. Data were then matched to medical record data. Unadjusted and adjusted mixed effects linear models using random intercept were run for each outcome (physical health-related quality of life, mental health-related quality of life, perceived stress, and serious psychological distress) with time (baseline vs 3-month follow-up) as the primary independent variable. Individuals were treated as a random effect, with all covariates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, payor, comorbidity count, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) stay) treated as fixed effects.

RESULTS: 264 adults tested positive for COVID-19 and completed baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments. Of that number, 31.8% were hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 10.2% were admitted for any reason to the ICU. After adjustment, patients reported higher physical health-related quality of life at 3 months compared to baseline (0.63, 95% CI 0.15, 1.11) and decreased stress at 3 months compared to baseline (- 0.85, 95% CI - 1.33, - 0.37). There were no associations between survey time and mental health-related quality of life or serious psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the influence of COVID-19 on physical health-related quality of life and stress may resolve over time, however, the influence of mental health on daily activities, work, and social activities may not.

Author List

Egede LE, Walker RJ, Dawson AZ, Zosel A, Bhandari S, Nagavally S, Martin I, Frank M

Authors

Sanjay Bhandari MD Assistant Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Aprill Z. Dawson PhD, MPH Assistant Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Leonard E. Egede MD Center Director, Chief, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Rebekah Walker PhD Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Amy Elizabeth Zosel MD Associate Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Hospitalization
Humans
Quality of Life
Stress, Psychological
United States