quality of life and psychiatric symptoms in post-covid-19 patients six months after discharge: a prospective study six months post-discharge

Background: the aim of this study is to prospectively assess the quality of life and psychiatric symptoms in individuals who have been discharged after covid-19, with a specific focus on understanding the enduring effects six months post-discharge and contributing valuable information for comprehensive post-covid-19 care strategies.methods: this prospective study enrolled 99 patients with covid-19 who visited the university outpatient clinic and 92 healthy age and gender matched individuals without covid-19. the depression anxiety stress scale-59 (dass-59) assessed stress, anxiety, and depression severity. for evaluating the quality of life (qol), the world health organization quality-of-life scale (who qol-bref) questionnaire was employed. multiple linear regression model addressed confounding factors including case group, age, gender, education, employment status, and marital status.results: this study included 92 covid-19 patients and 92 age and sex-matched healthy individuals. for the covid-19 patient group, significant positive associations were found across all the psychiatric symptoms, with β values of 8.52 for depression, 11.62 for stress, and 8.15 for anxiety, all with p-values less than 0.001, indicating strong statistical significance. conversely, quality of life was negatively impacted (β= -9.57, p<0.0001) that post-covid-19 patients exhibited significantly higher levels of depression, stress, and anxiety, with notable declines in quality of life, particularly among older individuals and the unemployed.conclusion: the results of this study highlight the multifaceted impact of covid-19 on mental health and quality of life, emphasizing the need for comprehensive care that addresses both physical and psychological recovery.