Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36116693›Full record

Observational studyBrain, behavior, and immunity2023

Depressive symptoms predict antibody titers after a second dose of the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine among hospital workers in Japan.

Hiroshi Kaneko, Hirohito Tsuboi

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Psychological Distress, Resilience, and Immunoinflammatory Signatures in Healthcare Workers During COVID-19.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hiroshi KanekoDivision of Internal Medicine & Psychosomatic Internal Medicine, Hoshigaoka Maternity Hospital, Nagoya 464-0026, Japan. Electronic address: hkaneko@fujita-hu.ac.jp.
Hirohito TsuboiGraduate School of Human Nursing, The University of Shiga Prefecture, 2500 Hassaka-cho, Hikone 522-8533, Japan. Electronic address: tohtori17@gmail.com.
Fujita Animal Hospital · JPUniversity of Shiga Prefecture · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough factors associated with the antibody response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine have been reported, psychological factors have not been examined. Depression or anxiety may affect vaccine reactions because these factors influence immune responses. This study aimed to determine whether psychological status at the time of vaccination predicts antibody responses.

methodsA prospective observational study of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine response was carried out among individuals attending for an annual health check-up. Participants included 78 volunteers out of 80 hospital workers in Nagoya, Japan. No participants had been infected with COVID-19 and all gave written informed consent to participate in the study. Blood samples were obtained approximately 28 days after the second dose of the vaccine, and antibody titers of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were determined using the SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay. Participants completed the Japanese version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire, one day before both vaccinations. Participants also recorded any adverse reactions, such as body temperature and other side effects, every day for two weeks after each dose. The relationships between antibody titers and the predictive factors were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis, with the antibody titers as the dependent variables, followed by univariate analysis.

resultsMultiple linear regression analysis revealed that no or excessive alcohol intake (p = 0.039), poor results from a health check-up (p = 0.011), a longer duration between the second dose and blood collection (p = 0.039), and increased degree of depressive symptoms (p = 0.041) were significant negative predictors of antibody titers, while body temperature one day after the second dose as a significant positive predictor of antibody titers (p < 0.0005).

conclusionWe identified that depressive symptoms just before the second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 were an independent negative predictor of antibody responses, in addition to other factors. Our results highlight the importance of mental health at the time of vaccination to achieve the higher antibody responses necessary to acquire humoral immunity.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesDepressionAntibodies, ViralBNT162 VaccineHealth PersonnelHospitalsHumansJapanSARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusAntibodies, ViralBNT162 VaccineCOVID-19 VaccinesSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2Antibody responseAnxietyBNT162b2 mRNA vaccineCOVID-19DepressionHealth care workerJapanPsychological factorVaccination

Identifiers

PMID36116693
PMCPMC9476373
OpenAlexW4295958022

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.