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Psychological distress among people with probable COVID-19 infection: analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study

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Summary

Studies exploring the longer-term effects of experiencing COVID-19 infection on mental health are lacking. We explored the relationship between reporting probable COVID-19 symptoms in April 2020 and psychological distress (measured using the General Health Questionnaire) one, two and three months later. Data were taken from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative household panel survey of UK adults. Elevated levels of psychological distress were found up to three months after probable COVID-19, compared to participants with no likely infection. Associations were stronger among younger age groups and men. Further research into the psychological sequalae of COVID-19 is urgently needed.

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Notes

Is referenced by: Public Health England (2020) 'COVID-19: mental health and wellbeing surveillance report. 'London: Public Health England.
Open Access
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.

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