A recent study conducted by BMJ, a medical research group, shows some evidence that new mental health disorders diagnosed in Long COVID-19 patients may not be a coincidence.
During the study, BMJ analyzed records of more than 150,000 COVID-19 patients in the Veterans Health Administration, who prior to having COVID-19 reported no mental health diagnosis. Post COVID-19 infection showed that people who had COVID-19 were 39 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Depression and 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety. This is striking research that shows how much we still do not know about COVID-19. The full report can be viewed here. Below is a shorter version of the research that includes some of the more important findings by BMJ.
Our research catalogues the breadth of post-acute mental health outcomes experienced by people with COVID-19 including depression, anxiety, and stress and adjustment disorders. There was also evidence of increased risk of substance use disorders, neurocognitive decline, and sleep problems. These risks were evident even among those people whose disease was mild and did not require hospital admission for covid-19.
Altogether, the findings suggest that people with COVID-19 are experiencing increased rates of mental health outcomes, which could have far-reaching consequences. The increased risk of opioid use is of particular concern, especially considering the high rates of opioid use disorders pre-pandemic. The increased risks of mental health outcomes in people with COVID-19 demands greater attention now to mitigate much more serious downstream consequences in the future.
Some may use our findings to gaslight or dismiss long covid as a psychosomatic condition or explain the myriad manifestations of long covid as the result of mental illness. This dismissal is contrary to scientific evidence and is harmful to patients and communities. Mental health disorders represent one part of the multifaceted nature of long covid which can affect nearly every organ system (including the brain, heart, and kidneys). Our results should be used to promote awareness of this risk among people with COVID-19 and to guide efforts for the early identification and treatment of affected individuals.
