ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Coronaviruses that cause respiratory infections in people are known to be neuropathogenic. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is an association between the severity of viral pneumonia and the anxiety and depression levels of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 165 patients were included in the study prospectively, and 70 patients were intubated at follow-up. According to the intubation status, the patients were divided into two groups: intubated and non-intubated. RESULTS: The GAD-7 score was 10.37±3.75 (p<0.001) in patients who were intubated after the first 7 days. The length of stay in the ICU was 25±22.3/day (p<0.001), and the length of stay in the hospital was 28.28±23.37/day, which was longer than those who were not intubated (p<0.001). APACHE and SOFA scores, as well as GAD-7 and PHQ-9, were found to be positively related to ICU and hospital length of stay (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The presence and exacerbation of anxiety and depression symptoms can provide information about the aggravation and progression of the underlying disease.