Effects of Long COVID on Psycho-Physical Conditions in the Italian Population: A Statistical and Large Language Model Combined Description.
Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ
; 14(5): 1153-1170, 2024 Apr 27.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38785574
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Long COVID refers to the persistence or development of signs and symptoms well after the acute phase of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY To investigate the long-term outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in terms of psychological, social, and relational consequences within the Italian population. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study using an online questionnaire distributed to a sample of the Italian population. By utilizing the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Hikikomori scale, we assessed perceived quality of life and social isolation, respectively. The questionnaire also included an open-answer question "What will you remember about the pandemic period?". We used generative artificial intelligence to analyze and summarize the corresponding answers.RESULTS:
A total of 1097 people participated in this study. A total of 79.3% (n = 870) of participants declared that they had been hospitalized and 62.8% (n = 689) received home care. Physical symptoms included headaches (43%, n = 472) and asthma (30.4%, n = 334). Additionally, 29.2% (n = 320) developed an addiction during the pandemic and, among these, 224 claimed internet addiction while 73 declared an emotional addiction. Furthermore, 51.8% (n = 568) experienced limitations in carrying out daily life activities. According to the Hikikomori scale, participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibited higher levels of isolation compared to the others (p < 0.001). Participants without COVID-19 showed higher levels of emotional support (p < 0.001). Our semiautomatic analysis of the open-ended responses, obtained by a procedure based on a free large language model, allowed us to deduce and summarize the main feelings expressed by the interviewees regarding the pandemic.CONCLUSIONS:
The data collected emphasize the urgent need to investigate the consequences of long COVID in order to implement interventions to support psychological well-being.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia