Prevalence of long COVID in the general adult population according to different definitions and sociodemographic and infection characteristics. A nationwide random sampling survey in France in autumn 2022.

OBJECTIVES: Long COVID has been recognized since early 2020, but its definition is not unanimous, which complicates epidemiological assessments. This study estimated the prevalence of long COVID based on several definitions and severity thresholds in the adult population of mainland France and examined variations according to sociodemographic and infection characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using random sampling was conducted in August-November 2022. Participants declaring SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed for infection dates and context, post-COVID symptoms (from a list of 31, with onset time, daily functioning impact, and alternative diagnosis), and perceived long COVID. Long COVID prevalence was estimated according to the WHO, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, United States National Centre for Health Statistics, and United Kingdom Office for National Statistics definitions. RESULTS: Of 10 615 participants, 5781 (54.5%) reported SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 123-759 (1.2-13.4%) having long COVID, depending on the definition. The prevalence of WHO post-COVID condition (PCC) was 4.0% (95% CI: 3.6-4.5) in the overall population and 8.0% (95% CI: 7.0-8.9) among infected individuals. Among the latter, the prevalence varied from 5.3% (men) to 14.9% (unemployed) and 18.6% (history of hospitalization for COVID-19). WHO-PCC overlapped poorly with other definitions (kappa ranging from 0.18 to 0.59) and perceived long COVID (reported in only 43% of WHO-PCC). DISCUSSION: Regardless of its definition, long COVID remains a significant burden in the French adult population that deserves surveillance, notably for forms that strongly impact daily activities. More standardized definitions will improve integrated surveillance of, and better research on, long COVID.

Psychological burden associated with incident persistent symptoms and their evolution during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying factors that predict the course of persistent symptoms that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health issue. Modifiable factors could be targeted in therapeutic interventions. OBJECTIVE: This prospective study based on the population-based CONSTANCES cohort examined whether the psychological burden associated with incident persistent symptoms (ie, that first occurred from March 2020) would predict having ≥1 persistent symptom 6-10 months later. METHODS: A total of 8424 participants (mean age=54.6 years (SD=12.6), 57.2% women) having ≥1 incident persistent symptom at baseline (ie, between December 2020 and February 2021) were included. The psychological burden associated with these persistent symptoms was assessed with the Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12). The outcome was having ≥1 persistent symptom at follow-up. Adjusted binary logistic regression models examined the association between the SSD-12 score and the outcome. FINDINGS: At follow-up, 1124 participants (13.3%) still had ≥1 persistent symptom. The SSD-12 score at baseline was associated with persistent symptoms at follow-up in both participants with (OR (95% CI) for one IQR increase: 1.42 (1.09 to 1.84)) and without SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to baseline (1.39 (1.25 to 1.55)). Female gender, older age, poorer self-rated health and infection prior to baseline were also associated with persistent symptoms at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological burden associated with persistent symptoms at baseline predicted the presence of ≥1 persistent symptom at follow-up regardless of infection prior to baseline. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Intervention studies should test whether reducing the psychological burden associated with persistent symptoms could improve the course of these symptoms.

[Integrating pathology and biology into medical education: current state and future directions]. / Anatomopathologie et biologie médicale : quelle place dans la formation des étudiants en médecine ?

Pathology and biology are essential in the patient care. However, they suffer from a lack of attractiveness to medicine students. In order to gain insight and improve the visibility and attractiveness of these specialties, we designed a survey and submitted forms to medical students, laboratory medical staff, and clinical staff from the different hospitals and institutes attached to "Université Paris Cité". The responses (363 students (response rate: 9.1%), 109 medical -laboratory staff (25%), 61 clinical staff (10%)) confirmed the poor visibility of these specialties among students as well as the will of the -medical laboratory staff to be more involved in the student's training. The -development of partnerships between laboratories and clinical -departments, which would allow medical students to spend short periods of time in related laboratories during their clinical internship, is a prospect for improving the teaching of these disciplines. The main expected benefits are to "discover a new specialty" and "to better understand the prescription of laboratory tests", which are crucial aspects for understanding the role of laboratory disciplines and their interaction with clinicians to improve patient care.

CARECOS study: Medical students' empathy as assessed with the CARE measure by examiners versus standardized patients during a formative Objective and Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) station.

PURPOSE: To assess the Consultation And Relational Empathy (CARE) measure as a tool for examiners to assess medical students' empathy during Objective and Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), as the best tool for assessing empathy during OSCEs remains unknown. METHODS: We first assessed the psychometric properties of the CARE measure, completed simultaneously by examiners and standardized patients (SP, either teachers - SPteacher - or civil society members - SPcivil society), for each student, at the end of an OSCE station. We then assessed the qualitative/quantitative agreement between examiners and SP. RESULTS: We included 129 students, distributed in eight groups, four groups for each SP type. The CARE measure showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the context of the study but moderate, and even poor inter-rater reliability for some items. Considering paired observations, examiners scored lower than SPs (p < 0.001) regardless of the SP type. However, the difference in score was greater when the SP was a SPteacher rather than a SPcivil society (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Despite acceptable psychometric properties, inter-rater reliability of the CARE measure between examiners and SP was unsatisfactory. The choice of examiner as well as the type of SP seems critical to ensure a fair measure of empathy during OSCEs.

Somatic Symptom Disorder-B criteria scale (SSD-12): Psychometric properties of the French version and associations with health outcomes in a population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The 12-item Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12) is a self-reported questionnaire designed to assess the B criteria of the DSM-5 somatic symptom disorder. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the SSD-12 French version and associated health outcomes. METHODS: Participants were volunteers from the population-based CONSTANCES cohort who reported at least one new symptom that occurred between March 2020 and January 2021. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). RESULTS: A total of 18,796 participants completed the SSD-12. The scree plot was consistent with a 1-factor structure, while goodness-of-fit indices of the confirmatory factorial analyses and clinical interpretability were consistent with a 3-factor structure (excluding the item 7): 'Perceived severity', 'Perceived impairment', 'Negative expectations'. The Cronbach's α coefficients of the total and factors scores were 0.90, 0.88, 0.84 and 0.877, respectively. The total score was associated with depressive symptoms (Spearmann's rho: 0.32), self-rated health (-0.46), the number of persistent symptoms (0.32), and seeking medical consultation (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] for one interquartile range increase: 1.51 [1.48-1.54]). Among participants seeking medical consultation, those with higher SSD-12 scores were more likely to have their symptoms attributed to "stress/anxiety/depression" (1.32 [1.22-1.43]) and "psychosomatic origin" (1.25 [1.20-1.29]), and less to "COVID-19" (0.89 [0.85-0.93]). CONCLUSION: While the SSD-12 French version can be used as a unidimensional tool, it also has a 3-factor structure, somewhat different from the DSM-5 theoretical structure, with high internal consistency and clinically meaningful associations with other health outcomes.

Complex association between post-COVID-19 condition and anxiety and depression symptoms.

BACKGROUND: To assess the associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) by exploring the direction of these associations and their relevance in the definition of PCC. METHODS: Nationwide survey among French adults, recruited between March and April, 2022, using a quota method to capture a representative sample of the general population with regard to sex, age, socioeconomic status, size of the place of residence, and region. We included all participants who met the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of PCC in addition to a random sample of participants infected with SARS-COV-2 for at least 3 months but without PCC. Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, chronic anxiety and depression (for more than 3 years), and anxiety and depression were measured using the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 questionnaires, respectively. RESULTS: In a sample of 1,095 participants with PCC and 1,021 participants infected with SARS-COV-2 without PCC, 21% had self-reported anxiety and 18% self-reported depression, whereas 33% and 20% had current measured symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. The high prevalence of these symptoms cannot only be explained by the characterization of PCC, as only 13.4% of anxiety symptoms and 7.6% of depressive symptoms met the WHO criteria for PCC. Only one participant met the WHO criteria based on self-reported anxiety or depressive symptoms alone, as these were always combined with other symptoms in patients with PCC. Chronic symptoms were associated with PCC (aOR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.00-1.61). In addition, measured anxiety was associated with PCC (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.02-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-COVID-19 chronic anxiety and depression may play a role in the development of PCC or share vulnerability factors with it. Our results challenge the inclusion of anxiety and depression in the definition of PCC.

Neurophysiological explorations across the spectrum of psychosis, autism, and depression, during wakefulness and sleep: protocol of a prospective case-control transdiagnostic multimodal study (DEMETER).

BACKGROUND: Quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) analysis offers the opportunity to study high-level cognitive processes across psychiatric disorders. In particular, EEG microstates translate the temporal dynamics of neuronal networks throughout the brain. Their alteration may reflect transdiagnostic anomalies in neurophysiological functions that are impaired in mood, psychosis, and autism spectrum disorders, such as sensorimotor integration, speech, sleep, and sense of self. The main questions this study aims to answer are as follows: 1) Are EEG microstate anomalies associated with clinical and functional prognosis, both in resting conditions and during sleep, across psychiatric disorders? 2) Are EEG microstate anomalies associated with differences in sensorimotor integration, speech, sense of self, and sleep? 3) Can the dynamic of EEG microstates be modulated by a non-drug intervention such as light hypnosis? METHODS: This prospective cohort will include a population of adolescents and young adults, aged 15 to 30 years old, with ultra-high-risk of psychosis (UHR), first-episode psychosis (FEP), schizophrenia (SCZ), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), as well as healthy controls (CTRL) (N = 21 × 6), who will be assessed at baseline and after one year of follow-up. Participants will undergo deep phenotyping based on psychopathology, neuropsychological assessments, 64-channel EEG recordings, and biological sampling at the two timepoints. At baseline, the EEG recording will also be coupled to a sensorimotor task and a recording of the characteristics of their speech (prosody and turn-taking), a one-night polysomnography, a self-reference effect task in virtual reality (only in UHR, FEP, and CTRL). An interventional ancillary study will involve only healthy controls, in order to assess whether light hypnosis can modify the EEG microstate architecture in a direction opposite to what is seen in disease. DISCUSSION: This transdiagnostic longitudinal case-control study will provide a multimodal neurophysiological assessment of clinical dimensions (sensorimotor integration, speech, sleep, and sense of self) that are disrupted across mood, psychosis, and autism spectrum disorders. It will further test the relevance of EEG microstates as dimensional functional biomarkers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06045897.

Unmet Psychosocial Needs of Health Care Professionals in Europe During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Approach.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected everyday life and working conditions for most Europeans, particularly health care professionals (HCPs). Over the past 3 years, various policies have been implemented in various European countries. Studies have reported on the worsening of mental health, work-related stress, and helpful coping strategies. However, having a closer look is still necessary to gain more information on the psychosocial stressors and unmet needs of HCPs as well as nonmedical staff. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to obtain quantitative information on job-related stressors of physicians and nurses and the coping strategies of HCPs and nonmedical staff at 2 periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. By further analyzing qualitative comments, we wanted to gain more information on the psychosocial stressors and unmet needs of HCPs as well as nonmedical staff on different levels of experience. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at 2 time points during the COVID-19 pandemic in several European countries. The first study period (T1) lasted between April 1 and June 20, 2020, and the second study period (T2) lasted between November 25, 2021, and February 28, 2022. On a quantitative level, we used a questionnaire on stressors for physicians and nurses and a questionnaire on coping strategies for HCPs and nonmedical staff. Quantitative data were descriptively analyzed for mean values and differences in stressors and coping strategies. Qualitative data of free-text boxes of HCPs and nonmedical staff were analyzed via thematic analysis to explore the experiences of the individuals. RESULTS: T1 comprised 609 participants, and T2 comprised 1398 participants. Overall, 296 participants made 438 qualitative comments. The uncertainty about when the pandemic would be controlled (T1: mean 2.28, SD 0.85; T2: mean 2.08, SD 0.90) and the fear of infecting the family (T1: mean 2.26, SD 0.98; T2: mean 2.02, SD 1.02) were the most severe stressors identified by physicians and nurses in both periods. Overall, the use of protective measures (T1: mean 2.66, SD 0.60; T2: mean 2.66, SD 0.60) and acquiring information about COVID-19 (T1: mean 2.29, SD 0.82; T2: mean 1.99, SD 0.89) were identified as the most common coping strategies for the entire study population. Using thematic analysis, we identified 8 themes of personal experiences on the micro, meso, and macro levels. Measures, working conditions, feelings and emotions, and social climate were frequently mentioned topics of the participants. In T1, feelings of isolation and uncertainty were prominent. In T2, feelings of exhaustion were expressed and vaccination was frequently discussed. Moreover, unmet psychosocial needs were identified. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for improvement in pandemic preparedness. Targeted vocational education measures and setting up of web-based mental health support could be useful to bridge gaps in psychosocial support needs in future crises.

Peer bullying victimization in adolescence is associated with substance use: cross-sectional findings from French high school students.

The relationships between peer bullying victimization in adolescence and substance use have been poorly studied. Thus, we examined the associations between peer bullying victimization and tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use in 496 French high school students. Peer bullying victimization was measured with a 17-item standardized assessment and analyzed as quartiles. Tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use were assessed with the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), respectively. Total scores at the HONC (0 to 10), AUDIT-C (0 to 12), and CAST (0 to 24) were used as dependent variables in generalized linear models, adjusting for sex, age, prepared graduation, last school marks and friends outside high school. Compared to the first quartile (i.e., the least bullied students), those from the second, third and fourth quartiles had significant increase of the AUDIT-C (B = 0.78 [95%CI 0.17-1.40] with p = 0.013; B = 0.86 [95%CI 0.26;1.46] with p = 0.005 and B = 1.00 [95%CI 0.38;1.62] with p = 0.002, respectively), with dose-dependent relationships (B = 0.33 ([95%CI 0.13; 0.52] with p = 0.001). Those from the fourth quartile had a significant increase of the CAST (B = 2.13[95%CI 1.25;3.01], p < 0.001). When examining the role of peer bullying victimization on the number of substances used, there were significant increased odds for students from the third and fourth quartiles, with dose-dependent relationships (OR = 1.24 [95% CI 1.07;1.44], p = 0.005). These findings encourage paying a particular attention to substance use in students who report being bullied. Consequently, information and prevention using standardized screening tools should be proposed. Conversely, substance use could be an indicator of peer bullying victimization and should thus be explored.

The risk of hospitalization for psychotic disorders following hospitalization for COVID-19: a French nationwide longitudinal study.

COVID-19, like other infectious diseases, may be a risk factor for psychotic disorders. We aimed to compare the proportions of hospitalizations for psychotic disorders in the 12 months following discharge from hospital for either COVID-19 or for another reason in the adult general population in France during the first wave of the pandemic. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal nationwide study using the national French administrative healthcare database. Psychotic disorders were first studied as a whole, and then chronic and acute disorders separately. The role of several adjustment factors, including sociodemographics, a history of psychotic disorder, the duration of the initial hospitalization, and the level of care received during that hospitalization, were also analyzed. Between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020, a total of 14,622 patients were hospitalized for psychotic disorders in the 12 months following discharge from hospital for either COVID-19 or another reason. Initial hospitalization for COVID-19 (vs. another reason) was associated with a lower rate of subsequent hospitalization for psychotic disorders (0.31% vs. 0.51%, odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.53-0.67]). This was true for both chronic and acute disorders, even after adjusting for the various study variables. Importantly, a history of psychotic disorder was a major determinant of hospitalization for psychotic disorders (adjusted OR = 126.56, 95% CI [121.85-131.46]). Our results suggest that, in comparison to individuals initially hospitalized for another reason, individuals initially hospitalized for COVID-19 present a lower risk of hospitalization for first episodes of psychotic symptoms/disorders or for psychotic relapse in the 12 months following discharge. This finding contradicts the hypothesis that there is a higher risk of psychotic disorders after a severe COVID-19.

Depression and anxiety before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and incident persistent symptoms: a prospective population-based cohort study.

Many patients affected by COVID-19 suffer from debilitating persistent symptoms whose risk factors remained poorly understood. This prospective study examined the association of depression and anxiety symptoms measured before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with the incidence of persistent symptoms. Among 25,114 participants [mean (SD) age, 48.72 years (12.82); 51.1% women] from the SAPRIS and SAPRIS-Sérologie surveys nested in the French CONSTANCES population-based cohort, depression and anxiety symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire before the pandemic, and with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale at the beginning of the pandemic (i.e., between April 6, 2020 and May 4, 2020). Incident persistent symptoms were self-reported between December 2020 and January 2021. The following variables were also considered: gender, age, educational level, household income, smoking status, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, self-rated health, and SARS-CoV-2 infection according to serology/PCR test results. After a follow-up of seven to ten months, 2329 participants (9.3%) had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 4262 (17.0%) reported at least one incident persistent symptom that emerged from March 2020, regardless of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In multi-adjusted logistic regression models, participants in the highest (versus the lowest) quartile of depressive or anxiety symptom levels before or at the beginning of the pandemic were more likely to have at least one incident persistent symptom (versus none) at follow-up [OR (95%CI) ranging from 2.10 (1.89-2.32) to 3.01 (2.68-3.37)], with dose-response relationships (p for linear trend <0.001). Overall, these associations were significantly stronger in non-infected versus infected participants, except for depressive symptoms at the beginning of the pandemic. Depressive symptoms at the beginning of the pandemic were the strongest predictor of incident persistent symptoms in both infected and non-infected participants [OR (95%CI): 2.88 (2.01-4.14) and 3.03 (2.69-3.42), respectively]. In exploratory analyses, similar associations were found for each symptom taken separately in different models. Depression and anxiety symptoms should be tested as a potential target for preventive interventions against persistent symptoms after an infection with SARS-CoV-2.

[Depression in older adults. What are the differences in clinical practice?] / Dépression du sujet âgé. Quelles différences de prise en charge en pratique ?

BACKGROUND: Management of depression in the elderly is a growing public health issue in France. The objective of this study was to compare practitioners' perception of depression severity (i.e., intensity and suicidal risk) and clinical practice (i.e., clinical assessment and medication choice) in elderly versus younger adult patients with major depression. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The method consisted of an online questionnaire completed by general practitioners and psychiatrists. Respondents'answers to a fictive case of a patient with major depression were randomized according to the patient's age, if the patient'age was either 40 or 70 years old. We assessed the perceived intensity of the depression, the perceived suicidal risk, the prescription of biological tests and cerebral imaging, and of antidepressive or other psychotropic medications. 102 completed forms were included. Data indicate that there were no significant differences in terms of perceived depression intensity and suicidal risk according to the patients'age. The prescription of biological tests was systematic in both groups, but a significant difference was observed in terms of prescription of brain imaging (71% of respondents for the 70-year-old patient versus 43% for the 40-year-old patient, p < 0.005), use of tetracyclic antidepressant (33% if aged 70 years versus 2% if aged 40 years, p < 0.001) and other psychotropic non-antidepressant medications (69% if aged 70 years versus 85% if aged 40 years, p < 0.05). This study did not show any significant difference in the perception of depression according to age. However, it highlights differences in terms of practical care according to age. These results suggest a partial gap between clinical practice and guidelines for the management of major depression in older adults, reflecting the need to favor the dissemination of guidelines and strengthen research for this population.

[Role of psychological factors in post-COVID-19 condition]. / Rôle des facteurs psychologiques dans l'affection post-COVID-19.

Even after a mild episode of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many patients suffer from persistent symptoms that can impair their quality of life for months. The potential role of psychological mechanisms in this post-COVID-19 condition, often referred to as long COVID, has been discussed early in the pandemic. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is now accumulating. First, a history of anxiety or depression is now an established risk factor for post-COVID-19 condition with a dose-response relationship and effect size similar to those of other known risk factors. This association extends to other forms of psychological distress, including perceived stress and loneliness. Second, specific beliefs about COVID-19 have been associated with the risk of subsequent similar symptoms, occurring weeks to several months later. Other studies, which have yet to be replicated, suggest an influence of the context of the initial infection (first versus second wave of the pandemic, before the emergence of significant variants and vaccination) and the trust in various sources of information about COVID-19 on the risk of subsequent symptoms. Bayesian models of perception can account for these results particularly well within a theoretical framework similar to that advanced for functional somatic disorders, integrating increased symptom expectations with decreased perception of the body internal state (interoception) and intolerance of uncertainty in the context of symptoms initially triggered by an infectious episode. These psychological mechanisms should obviously not be considered as exclusive. However, since they are modifiable, they could be targeted in clinical trials, within an integrative and multidisciplinary approach.

Housing conditions and changes in professional activity during lockdown and the risk of prevalent and incident depression: Findings from the CONSTANCES cohort.

BACKGROUND: Material conditions of lockdown and changes in regular functioning may have played a role on depressive manifestations. We aimed to examine the association between housing conditions and changes in professional activity and depression during the first COVID-19 outbreak in France. METHOD: Participants of the CONSTANCES cohort were followed online. A first questionnaire covered the lockdown period (assessing housing conditions and changes in professional activity), and a second the post-lockdown period (assessing depression using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression-Scale (CES-D)). Incident depression was also estimated (with a previous CES-D measure). Logistic regression models were applied. RESULTS: 22,042 participants (median age 46 years, 53.2 % women) were included and 20,534 had a previous CES-D measure. Depression was associated with female gender, lower household income and past history of depression. A negative gradient between the number of rooms and the likelihood of depression was consistently observed (OR = 1.55 95 % [1.19-2.00] for one room, OR = 0.76 [0.65-0.88] for seven rooms), while a U-shape relationship was observed with the number of people living together (OR = 1.62 [1.42-1.84] for living alone, OR = 1.44 [1.07-1.92] for six persons). These associations were also observed with incident depression. Changes in professional activity were associated with depression (Started distance working (OR = 1.33 [1.17-1.50]). Starting distance working was also associated with incident depression (OR = 1.27 [1.08-1.48]). LIMITATION: A cross-sectional design was used. CONCLUSION: The consequences of lockdown on depression may vary depending on living conditions and changes in professional activity, including distance working. These results could help to better identify vulnerable people to promote mental health.