A prospective study of major depressive disorder among COVID 19 survivors at a tertiary care hospital

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted physical health, wellbeing, and mental health, which has a disastrous effect on the health system. Among disorders emerging in the aftermath of a disaster, depression is the second most common. Aim: The current study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) at two-time points in individuals who have been hospitalized for the treatment of COVID 19. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was carried out from May 2020 to October 2020 at a tertiary care center among patients discharged after recovery from novel coronavirus (COVID 19). A diagnostic clinical interview was conducted to diagnose MDD, and its severity in patients who had recovered from COVID 19 using “Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)” at the time of discharge and 1 month after their discharge from the hospital. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used for the analysis, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 440 participants participated in the study. Out of them, 30.90% of participants met the criteria for MDD at the time of discharge and 19.5% at 1 month post-discharge. Participants who stayed for more than 14 days, were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and those with co-morbid medical illness had a higher prevalence of MDD. Conclusion: High prevalence of MDD was observed at the time of discharge among hospitalized participants. Longer duration of hospital stay and admission in ICU is associated with more unpleasant events, subsequently resulting in higher rates of morbidity, such as depression.