Psychological Predictors of Self-reported COVID-19 Outcomes: Results From a Prospective Cohort Study, 2022, Ayling, Chalder et al

Sly Saint

Sly Saint

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Abstract
Background
Previous research has shown that psychological factors, such as stress and social support, are associated with greater susceptibility to viral respiratory illnesses and more severe symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a well-documented deterioration in psychological well-being and increased social isolation. This raises questions as to whether those experiencing psychological adversity during the pandemic are more at risk of contracting and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Purpose
To examine the relationship between psychological factors and the risk of COVID-19 self-reported infection and the symptomatic experience of SARS-CoV-2 (indicated by the number and severity of symptoms).

Methods
As part of a longitudinal prospective observational cohort study, 1,087 adults completed validated measures of psychological well-being during April 2020 and self-reported incidence of COVID-19 infection and symptom experience across the pandemic through to December 2020. Regression models were used to explore these relationships controlling for demographic and occupational factors.

Results
Greater psychological distress during the early phase of the pandemic was significantly associated with subsequent self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the experience of a greater number and more severe symptoms.

Conclusions
COVID-19 infection and symptoms may be more common among those experiencing elevated psychological distress. Further research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations is needed.

https://academic.oup.com/abm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/abm/kaab106/6494327
 
Study finds stress linked to increased risk of getting COVID-19

Professor Trudie Chalder, Professor of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy from King's College London said, "Previous work has shown a clear relationship between distress and the development of viral infections indicating a vulnerability. Our study found that distress was associated with self-reported Covid-19 infection and the next step is to investigate whether this association is found in those with confirmed infection." (ANI)
Click to expand...

https://www.unitedkingdomnews.net/n...-linked-to-increased-risk-of-getting-covid-19

eta:
see also
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/s...ncreased-risk-of-getting-covid-19-study-finds
 
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Eventually they will say that symptomatic covid infection doesn't exist, it is just psychosomatic, caused by pandemic-related distress in people who are psychologically prone to it. That would be awesome, finally it would be obvious to the whole world how BPS ideology is more of a religion than anything else.

(sarcasm)
 
I'm not impressed. I would expect some attempt to make this a representative sample of the population. Instead it was recruited via social media, 85% of participants were female, and nearly three quarters dropped out before giving any data on whether they caught covid.
 
I find it interesting that this paper is going for a "stress increases susceptibility to infection" angle. Maybe Chalder has quietly changed her views due to the pandemic demonstrating so clearly that postinfectious syndromes are real?

I find it plausible that an association with "increased distress" and "covid infection" would exist and there are some very simple possible explanations for this, like working a job with increased risk of infection and knowing about the risk. Consider healthcare workers for example.

I think there have already been various papers on how people with lower socioeconomic status are more impacted by the pandemic and also have higher infection risk.
 
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The paper starts by going over previous evidence that being under stress can increase susceptibility to catching infections. I don't think this piece of research contributes usefully to that research.
 
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