Development and factor analysis of the „P-COV 2020” questionnaire. Neuropsychiatric symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Polish population.

Aim of the study Covid-19 pandemic was a global health and economic crisis. A substantial part of the population infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus reported neuropsychiatric symptoms. The objective of the study is to construct a self-report questionnaire to assess the neuropsychiatric consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Subject or material and methods Data analyzed from 327 participants - 84.1% of participants were female, 62.4% were 26-45 years old. Team of psychiatrists, psychologists and infectious disease specialists constructed the “P-COV 2020” questionnaire, which assesses a wide range of mental health characteristics. The “P-COV 2020” consisted of 62 items and was based on current literature and clinical experience. Snowball sampling was conducted by publishing a survey containing SARS-CoV-2 infection circumstances and a „P-COV 2020” via Internet. Results The internal consistency reliability of factor I (19 items) describing emotional lability and depressive traits was categorized as excellent (α= 0,935); of factor II (15 items) describing cognitive difficulties as excellent (α=0,949); of factor III (6 items) describing unusual sensory experiences as acceptable (α=0,769); of factor IV (11 items) describing energy level and sleep disturbances as good (α=0,884). Including time-related characteristics, the group showed the highest scores for factors IV and II and surprisingly, the lowest score for factor III. Items with α<0.4 were excluded from further analysis (11 items). Discussion Infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus may result in intensified sleep, energy level, and affective and cognitive disturbances. The psychosocial factors of the pandemic should be considered in the analysis of subjective reports. Conclusions Neuropsychiatric symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection are reported. Further research on SARS-CoV-2 infection consequences is needed.