Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Quality, and Biological Rhythms between Patients with COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore depression, anxiety, sleep quality, biological rhythms, and risk factors related to taste and smell loss in COVID-19 patients.
METHODS: This case-control study was conducted as a single-center study between January 1 and May 15, 2021. The study included COVID-19 patients and healthy adults as the control group. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale Short form (DASS-21), Biological Rhythms Assessment Interview in Neuropsychiatry, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered to the patients and control group.
RESULTS: A total of 247 individuals (123 [49.7%] patients with COVID-19 and 124 [50.3%] control group) were included in the study. A total of patients with COVID-19 include 60 (48.7%) hospitalized-treated groups (HTG) and 63 (51.3%) home-treated groups (HOG). DASS-21 score, BRAIN score, and PSQI score in the patient group were higher than the control group (20.0±11.5 vs. 8.8±4.8, p<0.001 for DASS-21 score, 40.1±8.6 vs. 33.4±6.3, p<0.001 for BRAIN score, 5.2±3.0 vs. 2.9±1.5, p<0.001 for PSQI score). Anxiety score and PSQI score in the HTG were significantly higher than the HOG (7.4±3.7 vs. 5.1±4.2, p<0.001 for anxiety score, 5.8±2.9 vs. 4.6±3.0, p=0.013 for PSQI score). Age (Odds Radio [OR]=1.038, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.010–10.67, p=0.007) and gender (OR=6.012, 95% CI=2.533–14.271, p<0.001) were determined as risk factors for developing taste/smell loss in COVID-19.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It can be stated that patients with COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing mood disorders, irregularity in biological rhythms, and sleep disorders compared to the control group. In addition, age and gender variables are directly related to taste and smell disorders in COVID-19.