Do patients with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder experience more somatosensorial amplification, hypochondriasis, and fear of COVID-19?

Abstract

Objective: Mental illnesses are important determinants in response to the pandemic. However, there are only a limited number of studies investigating the effects of COVID-19 in individuals with mental illnesses. We aimed to reveal the fear of COVID-19, somatosensorial amplification levels, anxiety, depression, and stress levels of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Method: We evaluated 500 participants in three groups. This study enrolled 137 patients with MDD, 140 patients with GAD, and 223 healthy controls. Participants were evaluated with the Whiteley Index-7, Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and The Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups’ SSAS, DASS-21, Whiteley Index, and The Fear of COVID-19 Scale scores. In the post hoc analysis, Whiteley Index and DASS-21 subscale scores were higher in patient groups than in the control group (p