Post-Recovery Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adults with Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The long-term effects of COVID-19 infection represent an emerging area of research that explores the relationships between a history of COVID-19 infection and its consequential sequelae. This study investigates the potential associations among the time since infection, the severity of the acute phase of the disease, and sex, while controlling for age, in relation to mental health. Methods: A total of 305 university students participated in this cross-sectional study, during which data were collected using the SCL-90-R questionnaire. The analysis of the collected data was conducted using the MANCOVA, ANCOVA, and partial Kendall’s Tau methods. Results: The findings indicated that factors such as sex—specifically being female—longer time elapsed since infection, and disease severity significantly influenced multiple scales of the SCL-90-R. Conclusions: Based on these findings, it is recommended that investigations into mental health issues consider biological sex, COVID-19 severity, and the time since infection as potential risk factors among young adults with a history of COVID-19 infection.