Severe COVID-19 illness and mental health

Severe COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of negative long-term mental health effects

March 16, 2022 10:10 am

A new study published in the journal The Lancet Public Health It indicates that severe illness from COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of negative long-term mental health effects.

The results indicate, in general, that SARS-CoV-2-infected outpatients were More likely to have symptoms of depression Up to 16 months after diagnosis compared to those who were never infected. Patients who had been bedridden for seven days or more had higher rates of depression and anxiety, compared to people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 but had never been bedridden.

The analysis reveals that the symptoms Depression and anxiety are mostly resolved within two months on an outpatient basis with COVID-19. However, patients who remained bedridden for seven days or more continued to have an increased risk of depression and anxiety throughout the 16-month study period.

epidemic It disrupts many aspects of daily life The toll that social distancing requirements, along with general uncertainty, have taken on the mental health of many people are also well documented.

Long-term consequences for mental health

Most studies to date have examined negative mental health effects up to six months after the diagnosis of COVID-19, and little is known about the long-term effects on mental health after that period, particularly in the case of out-of-hospital patients with varying degrees of illness severity.

to arrest Long-term consequences for mental healthThe researchers analyzed the prevalence of COVID-19-related depression, anxiety, and distress symptoms and poor sleep quality among people diagnosed or undiagnosed with COVID-19 from 0 to 16 months (median follow-up 5.65 months). ). The analysis was based on data from seven groups from Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Results

Overall, participants diagnosed with COVID-19 had a higher prevalence of depression and poor sleep quality than individuals who were never diagnosed (20.2% vs 11.3% experienced depressive symptoms; and 29.4% vs 23.8% experienced poor sleep quality , this equates to an 18% and 13% increase in prevalence, respectively, after adjusting for other factors, including but not limited to, age, gender, education, body mass index, and previous psychiatric diagnosis. With or without MERS-CoV -19 in rates of COVID-related anxiety or distress.

People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 but never go to bed because of their illness Less likely to have symptoms of depression and concern for those who have not been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The authors state that one explanation for this fact is that returning to normal life is a relief for these people, while those who are not yet infected remain concerned about the risks of infection and burdened by social isolation.”

The analysis found a clear reduction in some mental health symptoms, such as depression and distress related to COVID-19, over time. On the contrary, the Longer time spent in bed consistently was associated with a higher prevalence of mental health effects.

Over the course of 16 months, patients who were bedridden for seven days or more remained 50% to 60% more likely to have increased depression and anxiety than people who never had an infection during this period.

Inflammation in severe cases of COVID-19

Faster recovery from the physical symptoms of COVID-19 may partly explain why mental health symptoms decline at a similar rate to those with mild infections. However, patients with Severe COVID-19 often has inflammation which have previously been linked to chronic mental health effects, particularly depression.

Co-author Ingibjörg Magnúsdóttir, from the University of Iceland, adds that “the higher incidence of depression and anxiety among COVID-19 patients who have spent seven or more days bedridden may be due to a combination of concerns about long-term health effects, as well as persistent physical symptoms of coronavirus.” The newcomer goes beyond illness, which limits social contact and can lead to feelings of helplessness.