Evidence mapPaperPMID 37920139Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2023

Psychological risk factors for Long COVID and their modification: study protocol of a three-arm, randomised controlled trial (SOMA.COV).

Petra Engelmann, Christian Büchel, Jördis Frommhold, Hans F E Klose, Ansgar W Lohse, Kerstin Maehder, Yvonne Nestoriuc, Martin Scherer, Anna Suling, Anne Toussaint and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 'I Want Everyone to Have It, and Everyone to Be on It': A Feasibility Study of the Transforming Long Covid Intervention.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Petra EngelmannDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9654-0364
Christian BüchelInstitute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Jördis FrommholdInstitute Long Covid, Rostock, Germany.
Hans F E KloseII. Medical Clinic and Polyclinic, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Ansgar W LohseI. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Kerstin MaehderDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Yvonne NestoriucInstitute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Psychology, Helmut Schmidt University, Germany.
Martin SchererDepartment of General Practice and Primary Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Anna SulingInstitute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Anne ToussaintDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Angelika WeigelDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Antonia ZapfInstitute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Bernd LöweDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4220-3378
Universität Hamburg · DE

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 508447247
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGrowing evidence suggests that in addition to pathophysiological, there are psychological risk factors involved in the development of Long COVID. Illness-related anxiety and dysfunctional symptom expectations seem to contribute to symptom persistence.

aimsWith regard to the development of effective therapies, our primary aim is to investigate whether symptoms of Long COVID can be improved by a targeted modification of illness-related anxiety and dysfunctional symptom expectations. Second, we aim to identify additional psychosocial risk factors that contribute to the persistence of Long COVID, and compare them with risk factors for symptom persistence in other clinical conditions.

methodWe will conduct an observer-blinded, three-arm, randomised controlled trial. A total of 258 patients with Long COVID will be randomised into three groups of equal size: targeted expectation management in addition to treatment as usual (TAU), non-specific supportive treatment plus TAU, or TAU only. Both active intervention groups will comprise three individual online video consultation sessions and a booster session after 3 months. The primary outcome is baseline to post-interventional change in overall somatic symptom severity.

conclusionsThe study will shed light onto the action mechanisms of a targeted expectation management intervention for Long COVID, which, if proven effective, can be used stand-alone or in the context of broader therapeutic approaches. Further, the study will enable a better understanding of symptom persistence in Long COVID by identifying additional psychological risk factors.

Indexed as

biopsychosocial modelLong COVIDpersistent somatic symptomspost-COVID-19 conditionrisk factors

Identifiers

PMID37920139
PMCPMC10753953
OpenAlexW4388297982

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.