Study: Severe COVID-19 linked to adverse mental health outcomes

Severe COVID-19 is linked to a rise in trajectories of mental health disorders, according to a recent study by The Lancet Public Health. 

Published in its journal, the study displays a correlation between highly severe COVID-19 and adverse mental health outcomes. 

The researchers of the study found out that people diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection were more prone to experiencing symptoms of depression up to 16 months after the virus’ diagnosis, compared to those who never got infected. 

The researchers further added that patients of severe COVID-19, who often spent days on the bed, displayed higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to those patients who were not bedridden. 

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The study found that COVID-19 patients who were not bedridden had mental health disorders that mostly subsided within two months.  

The study was conducted by analyzing groups from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. 

“Our research is among the first to explore mental health symptoms after a serious COVID-19 illness in the general population up to 16 months after diagnosis,” said Unnur Anna Valdimarsdottir, author of the study and a professor at the University of Iceland.

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“It suggests that mental health effects are not equal for all COVID-19 patients and that time spent bedridden is a key factor in determining the severity of the impacts on mental health,” Valdimarsdottir added.

“The higher occurrence of depression and anxiety among patients with COVID-19 who spent seven days or longer bedridden could be due to a combination of worrying about long-term health effects as well as the persistence of physical long COVID symptoms well beyond the illness,” said Ingibjorg Magnusdottir, co-author of the study. 

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“Equally, inflammatory responses among patients with a severe diagnosis may contribute to more persistent mental health symptoms,” Magnusdottir added.

While the study managed to align with its hypothesis, the authors admitted to having several limitations in the study.