According to a new study, more than half of adults infected with COVID-19 have symptoms of depression
- The researchers surveyed 3,904 individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but who had since recovered.
- Of the total, 2,046 patients, or 54.2%, met criteria that they considered to show symptoms of depression.
- Many reported difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, fatigue, or little pleasure in life.
- Younger people were more likely to get depressed than older adults and men had more symptoms than women than women.
- People who said their COVID cases were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression.
A new study suggests that more than half of adults in the United States who have previously been infected with COVID-19 have symptoms of depression.
The researchers found that 54.2% of patients who had recovered from the disease met the criteria of “moderate or major symptoms of major depression.”
Many reported difficulty sleeping or concentrating, loss of appetite, fatigue, or little pleasure in life.
The team, led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, also found that people who reported their coronavirus case were severe were five times more likely to have symptoms related to depression.
A new study found that of 3,904 individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but then recovered 54.2%, met criteria they considered to have symptoms of depression (above).
People who said their COVID cases were severe were five times more likely to report symptoms of depression. Pictured: Healthcare workers use a CPAP machine on a COVID-19 patient at Providence St Mary’s Medical Center in Apple Valley, California, January 2021
For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, the team examined data from eight waves of surveys conducted between June 2020 and January 2021.
Respondents were reduced to 3,904 people who said they had been infected with COVID-19 in the past, but then recovered.
They were asked to rate the severity of their illness and whether they had persistent symptoms since they turned out to be negative.
All participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9), which is a diagnostic tool used to diagnose mood disorders such as depression.
Patients are asked about their mood or behavior over the past two weeks, including whether they have had “little interest or pleasure in doing things” or whether they have found themselves “desperate, depressed, or hopeless”.
Those who complete the survey can choose one of the following “at all,” “several days,” “more than half the days,” or “almost every day,” which are scored from zero to three.
On a scale of zero to 27, people who have scored 10 or more are considered to have moderate or severe depression.
Of the participants, 2,046, or 52.4 percent, scored high enough to be considered to have symptoms of major depression.
The researchers found that younger people were more likely to have depression than older adults, with the risk that symptoms would increase by 24% every decade.
Women who had COVID-19 were 28% less likely to have depressive symptoms compared to men.
In addition, people who suffered from severe COVID were five times more likely to show symptoms of depression.
The researchers found that those who suffered from headaches while infected were 33% more likely to have depression later.
There was no association among other specified Covid symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell, and risk of depression.
“Our results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the importance of considering possible neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 infection,” the authors wrote.
“Our results also suggest the importance of considering strategies that can mitigate the high risk of depressive symptoms after an acute infection.”
