Olfactory-related quality of life impacts psychological distress in people with COVID-19: The affective implications of olfactory dysfunctions.
J Affect Disord
; 323: 741-747, 2023 02 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2307598
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often causes chemosensory impairment, and olfactory dysfunctions may have negative consequences on psychological distress. This study aimed at assessing which dimension of perceived olfactory disfunctions (i.e., subjective olfactory capability, smell-related problems, or olfactory-related quality of life [QoL]) was most associated with psychological distress in people diagnosed with COVID-19.METHODS:
364 participants (65 men and 299 women) diagnosed with COVID-19 on average 7 months prior to the beginning of the study were recruited between June 5 and 21, 2021, to take part in an online cross-sectional survey. Participants answered questions on demographics, clinical factors, perceived olfactory functioning, and psychological distress. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was conducted, assessing the role of demographics, clinical factors, and perceived olfactory functioning dimensions on psychological distress.RESULTS:
More than half of the participants met the cut-off for all perceived olfactory dysfunctions scales and psychological distress. Being women, smoker, with comorbidities, and greater severity of COVID-19 symptoms were associated with higher scores on psychological distress. Among perceived olfactory functioning scales, only impairment in olfaction QoL was associated with psychological distress.LIMITATIONS:
Limitations concerned the cross-sectional nature of the study and the unbalanced sample in terms of gender.CONCLUSIONS:
The study confirmed the core intertwining between mood, perceived QoL, and olfactory functioning, showing how impairments in olfactory processing are strongly correlated with psychological distress through the impact they have on the perceived QoL.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Psychological Distress
/
COVID-19
/
Olfaction Disorders
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
J Affect Disord
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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