Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38184524›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2024

Severe COVID anxiety among adults in the United Kingdom: cohort study and nested feasibility trial.

Mike J Crawford, Jacob D King, Aisling McQuaid, Paul Bassett, Verity C Leeson, Oluwaseun Tella, Martina Di Simplicio, Peter Tyrer, Helen Tyrer, Richard G Watt and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
4.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Mike J CrawfordDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK. m.crawford@imperial.ac.uk.
Jacob D KingDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Aisling McQuaidDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Paul BassettStatsconsultancy Ltd, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, UK.
Verity C LeesonDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Oluwaseun TellaDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Martina Di SimplicioDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Peter TyrerDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Helen TyrerDivision of Psychiatry, Commonwealth Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Richard G WattDepartment of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Kirsten BarnicotDivision of Health Services Research and Management, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.
Hammersmith Hospital · GBCity, University of London · GBUniversity College London · GB

Funding

National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme 16/157/02NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre WBPP_PA2902NIHR Senior Investigator Application held by Professor Crawford NF-SI-0515-10006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with severe COVID anxiety have poor mental health and impaired functioning, but the course of severe COVID anxiety is unknown and the quality of evidence on the acceptability and impact of psychological interventions is low.

methodsA quantitative cohort study with a nested feasibility trial. Potential participants aged 18 and over, living in the UK with severe COVID anxiety, were recruited online and from primary care services. We examined levels of COVID anxiety in the six months after recruitment, and factors that influenced this, using linear regression. Those scoring above 20 on the short Health Anxiety Inventory were invited to participate in a feasibility trial of remotely delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Health Anxiety (CBT-HA). Exclusion criteria were recent COVID-19, current self-isolation, or current receipt of psychological treatment. Key outcomes for the feasibility trial were the level of uptake of CBT-HA and the rate of follow-up.

results204 (70.2%) of 285 people who took part in the cohort study completed the six month follow-up, for whom levels of COVID anxiety fell from 12.4 at baseline to 6.8 at six months (difference = -5.5, 95% CI = -6.0 to -4.9). Reductions in COVID anxiety were lower among older people, those living with a vulnerable person, those with lower baseline COVID anxiety, and those with higher levels of generalised anxiety and health anxiety at baseline. 36 (90%) of 40 participants enrolled in the nested feasibility trial were followed up at six months. 17 (80.9%) of 21 people in the active arm of the trial received four or more sessions of CBT-HA. We found improved mental health and social functioning among those in the active, but not the control arm of the trial (Mean difference in total score on the Work and Social Adjustment Scale between baseline and follow up, was 9.7 (95% CI = 5.8-13.6) among those in the active, and 1.0 (95% C.I. = -4.6 to 6.6) among those in the control arm of the trial.

conclusionsWhile the mental health of people with severe COVID anxiety appears to improve over time, many continue to experience high levels of anxiety and poor social functioning. Health anxiety is highly prevalent among people with severe COVID anxiety and may provide a target for psychological treatment.

trial registrationRetrospectively registered at ISRCTN14973494 on 09/09/2021.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentAdultAgedAnxietyCohort StudiesFeasibility StudiesHumansUnited KingdomAnxiety disordersCohort studyCOVID-19Feasibility trial

Identifiers

PMID38184524
PMCPMC10771646
OpenAlexW4390640522

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.