Relative Risk of Anxiety and Depression among COVID-19 Survivor Healthcare Workers from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan: A Pilot Cohort Study

Longitudinal studies for determining the risk of anxiety and depression among COVID-19 survivor healthcare workers are lacking. This study aimed to determine the risk of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers that survived COVID-19 infection through a six-month post-recovery follow-up. This was a cohort study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from 1st March to 30th August 2020. A total of 64 subjects participated. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for assessing the anxiety and depression symptoms. HADS has three score cutoff as normal, borderline abnormal and, abnormal anxiety/depression. For the purpose of the study, borderline and above scores were taken as positive for anxiety/depression. Data was analysed using STATA Corp 15.1. There was no increased risk of anxiety or depression six months post-COVID-19 infection in the infected HCW, compared to uninfected HCW. It is recommended to conduct longitudinal studies with large sample and longer follow-up.

Automated summary

This study followed healthcare workers who survived COVID-19 infection for six months post-recovery and found no increased risk of anxiety or depression compared to uninfected healthcare workers. It is recommended to conduct longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods.