Relationship Between Anxiety, Depression, and Susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Proof of Concept.

<bold>Background: </bold>Psychological factors can influence susceptibility to viral infections. We examined whether such influences are evident in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.<bold>Methods: </bold>Participants (n = 102) completed measures of anxiety, depression, positive mood, and loneliness and provided a blood sample for the measurement of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins.<bold>Results: </bold>SARS-CoV-2 was significantly negatively associated with anxiety and depression. The model remained significant after adjustment for age and gender, although anxiety and depression were no longer significant independent predictors.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>These findings offer early support for the hypothesis that psychological factors may influence susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]