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Association between COVID-19 and subsequent depression diagnoses – a retrospective cohort study
Background
The present study aimed to investigate the association between COVID-19 and the cumulative incidence of depression and the potential role of sick leave in a large representative sample of German adults.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study was based on the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) data. This study included individuals aged ≥16 years with a COVID-19 diagnosis in 1284 general practices in Germany between March 2020 and December 2021, and the propensity score matched cohort without COVID-19. Univariable Cox regression analysis assessed the association between COVID-19 and depression.
Results
The present study included 61,736 individuals with and 61,736 without COVID-19 (mean age 46.1 years; 49 % women). Patients visited their physicians about 4.3 times per year during the follow-up period. About 25.5 % of patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020 and 74.5 % in 2021. In this representative sample of German adults, COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher cumulative incidence of depression, and this cumulative incidence was greater in women than men. As compared with non-COVID-19, COVID-19 with ≤2 weeks sick leave duration was associated with 17 % higher depression risk (HR: 1.17; 95 % CI: 1.09–2.16), COVID-19 with >2–4 weeks sick leave duration with 37 % higher depression risk (HR: 1.37; 95 % CI: 1.11–1.69), and COVID-19 with >4 weeks sick leave duration with 2 times higher depression risk (HR: 2.00; 95 % CI: 1.45–2.76).
Conclusion
COVID-19 sick leave was positively associated with a risk for depression, and the longer the duration of sick leave, the higher the cumulative incidence of depression.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
72Issue number
4Publication title
Journal of Epidemiology and Population HealthISSN
2549-0273External DOI
Publisher
ElsevierFile version
- Accepted version
Item sub-type
ArticleAffiliated with
- School of Psychology and Sport Science Outputs