Fear of Dying and Catastrophic Thinking Are Associated with More Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Following COVID-19 Infection

Numerous investigations have revealed elevated rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following COVID-19 infection. This study examined the relation between illness-related and psychosocial variables in the severity of PTSS in individuals previously infected with COVID-19. The study sample included 381 individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 within the previous 4 months. Participants completed online measures of infection symptom severity, ongoing COVID-19 symptom burden, fear of dying and catastrophic thinking. Age, infection severity, ongoing COVID-19 symptom burden, and fear of dying and catastrophic thinking were significant correlates of the severity of PTSS. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that age, gender, ongoing COVID-19 symptom burden, fear of dying and catastrophic thinking each made unique significant contributions to the prediction of the severity of PTSS. The results of the present study suggest that fear of dying and catastrophic thinking about COVID-19 symptoms might contribute to the development of PTSS following COVID-19 infection. Interventions aimed at reducing death fears and modifying negative and alarmist appraisals of COVID-19 symptoms might contribute to more positive recovery outcomes in individuals who are infected with COVID-19. The cross-sectional design of this study precludes statements about causality, and conclusions about temporal relations among variables must await replication in a longitudinal design.