Differential associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection, perceived burden of the pandemic and mental health in the German population-based cohort for digital health research

Abstract

Understanding the potential adverse effects of the COVID-19-pandemic on mental health remains a challenge for public health. Differentiation between potential consequences of actual infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the subjective burden of the pandemic due to measures and restrictions to daily life still remains elusive. Therefore, we investigated the differential association between infection with SARS-Cov-2 and subjective burden of the pandemic in a study cohort of 7601 participants from the German population-based cohort for digital health research (DigiHero), who were recruited between March 4th and April 25th 2022. Data was collected using the online survey tool LimeSurvey® between March and October 2022 in consecutive surveys, which included questionnaires on infection status and symptoms following COVID-19 as well as retrospective assessment of the subjective burden of the pandemic. We observed an association of a past SARS-CoV-2 infection on deteriorated mental health related symptoms, whereas no association or interaction with burden of the pandemic occurred. The association was driven by participants with persistent symptoms 12 weeks after infection. On a symptom specific level, neuropsychiatric symptoms such as exhaustion and fatigue, concentration deficits and problems with memory function were the primary drivers of the association with small effect sizes between 0.048 and 0.062 η_p².

Keywords: Burden of the pandemic; DigiHero; Long COVID; Mental health; Neuropsychiatric impairment; SARS-CoV-2.