The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and their associations with quality of life among clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic
Open Access
- 26 January 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Translational Psychiatry
- Vol. 11 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01196-y
Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders is unclear. This study examined the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and their associations with quality of life (QOL) in clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, insomnia, pain, and QOL were assessed with standardized instruments. A total of 1063 patients were included. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and combined depressive and anxiety symptoms were 62.3% (95%CI = 59.4–65.2%), 52.4% (95%CI = 49.3–55.4%), and 45.9% (95%CI = 42.9–48.9%), respectively. Patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms had significantly lower QOL than those without (P < 0.01). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that having depressive symptoms was positively associated with more severe insomnia (OR = 1.29, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.14, P < 0.01), and was negatively associated with other psychiatric diagnoses (except for major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and organic mental disorder; OR = 0.50, P < 0.01), while having anxiety symptoms was positively associated with severe physical diseases (OR = 1.57, P = 0.02), poor adherence to treatment (OR = 1.50, P < 0.01), and more severe insomnia (OR = 1.15, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.11, P < 0.01). Having combined depression and anxiety symptoms was positively associated with poor adherence to treatment (OR = 1.42, P = 0.02) and more severe insomnia (OR = 1.19, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.15, P < 0.01), and was negatively associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia (OR = 0.50, P = 0.04) and others (OR = 0.53, P < 0.01). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were common in clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the negative impact of these symptoms on QOL, regular screening and appropriate treatment are recommended for this population.Funding Information
- the National Science and Technology Major Project for investigational new drug
This publication has 69 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cognitive behavioral intervention in the Chinese cultural context: A case reportAsia-Pacific Psychiatry, 2013
- Quality of life of Chinese urban community residents: a psychometric study of the mainland Chinese version of the WHOQOL-BREFBMC Medical Research Methodology, 2012
- Insomnia and Daytime Sleepiness Are Risk Factors for Depressive Symptoms in the ElderlySleep, 2011
- The Patient Health Questionnaire Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptom Scales: a systematic reviewGeneral Hospital Psychiatry, 2010
- Risk factors for onset of chronic oro-facial pain – Results of the North Cheshire oro-facial pain prospective population studyPain, 2010
- Health Disadvantage in US Adults Aged 50 to 74 Years: A Comparison of the Health of Rich and Poor Americans With That of EuropeansAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2009
- A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety DisorderArchives of Internal Medicine, 2006
- Pain assessmentEuropean Spine Journal, 2005
- Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey ReplicationArchives of General Psychiatry, 2005
- The PHQ-9Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2001