Poor sleep quality may independently predict suicidal risk in COVID-19 survivors: a 2-year longitudinal study

Objective: Multiple symptoms of psychiatric, neurological, and physical illnesses may be part of Post-COVID conditions and may pose COVID-19 survivors a high suicidal risk. Accordingly, we aimed to study factors contributing to suicidal risk in Post COVID-19 patients. Method: Consecutive patients with post COVID-19 conditions were followed for 2 years at the University Hospital of Ferrara at baseline (T0), 6 (T1), 12 (T2), and 24 (T3) months. Demographics, and clinical data for all patients included: disease severity, hospital length of stay, comorbidity, clinical complications, sleep quality, cognitive complaints, anxiety and stress-related symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Results: The final sample included 81 patients with post COVID survivors. The mean age was 64 + 10,6 years, 35,8% were females, 65,4% had medical comorbidities, and 69,1% had WHO severe form of COVID forms. At T0 more than 90% of patients showed poor sleep quality, 59.3% reported moderate/severe depressive symptoms, and 51.% experienced anxiety, 25.9% experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms. At T0 suicidal ideation, interested 6.1% and at T3 it increased to 7.4%. In the regression analysis, suicidal ideation at baseline was best predicted by poor sleep quality (O.R. 1.71, p=0.044) and, after 2 years, suicidal ideation was best predicted by poor sleep quality experienced at baseline (OR 67.3, p=0.001). Conclusions: Poor sleep quality may play as an independent predictor of suicidal risk in post-COVID survivors. Evaluating and targeting sleep disturbances in COVID survivors is important to prevent the consequences of disrupted sleep in mental health.