News Medical: What are the long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health?

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New research has found mental health morbidities such as depression and anxiety to be long-term symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The multinational study published on medRxiv included nearly 250,000 participants, 4% of them previously tested positive for COVID-19. The study found that the 10,000 subjects diagnosed with COVID-19 were much more likely to exhibit symptoms of worsening mental health. From all participants diagnosed with COVID-19, 21% reported having symptoms of depression 6-16 months post-diagnosis. More specifically, participants who were bedridden for longer than a week due to COVID-19 had a 50-60% higher threat of later anxiety and depression compared to their uninfected counterparts. And from the participants who were previously hospitalized with COVID-19, 44% reported anxiety and depression like symptoms. In accordance with the data, the researchers in this study concluded acute infection severity of COVID-19 to be a central determinant of long-term mental health problems. The full article by Shanet Susan Alex can be read here on News Medical Life Sciences.

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